Synonym Chooser

How is the word anticipate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of anticipate are divine, foreknow, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related as synonyms of anticipate?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When would foreknow be a good substitute for anticipate?

Although the words foreknow and anticipate have much in common, foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

In what contexts can foresee take the place of anticipate?

The synonyms foresee and anticipate are sometimes interchangeable, but foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anticipate Sixty percent of participants believe the state is generally going in the wrong direction with three in four respondents anticipating bad economic times statewide over the next year. Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2025 Ideas are due by noon on Aug. 8, and city officials anticipate to issue the request for proposals this fall. Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025 It’s anticipated, though, that pressure will ramp up in suburban neighborhoods, too, as K-12 enrollment has peaked nationwide. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2025 That’s the threshold where extreme heat, storms, and droughts become more intense, more frequent, and more challenging to anticipate using outdated models built on decades of relatively stable climate risk trends. Michael Sheldrick, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for anticipate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anticipate
Verb
  • Researchers and regional officials expected the sargassum mass to continue growing and drifting, with the west Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico—including Florida—now under threat of similar impacts through the coming weeks.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • Even if the new version of macOS supports some Intel Macs, expect the list of features that require Apple Silicon to keep getting longer.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Wind gusts of up to 40 mph and pea-sized hail (0.25 inches) are foreseen.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
  • The Royalton Chic hotel could not have foreseen that its operations would be substantial factors in the cause of Elijah Snow’s death, the Mexican property’s lawyers argued.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Ever since Taylor Swift revealed plans to re-record and re-release her first six albums after the rights to those works were sold away from her, superfans have eagerly awaited Reputation (Taylor’s Version).
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • Invasion and Loot, meanwhile, still await return dates, after streaming their respective Season 2 finales in October 2023 and May 2024.
    Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Prices could further spike, however, if Iran targets Saudi Arabia’s oil supplies or creates shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost 25% of total global oil consumption flows, with some experts predicting $100 oil per barrel.
    Mathias Hammer, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
  • Clean energy installations, including solar, will continue, if more slowly than previously predicted.
    Justin Worland, Time, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anticipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anticipate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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