1
as in intimacy
the state of being in a very personal or private relationship
the warm welcome they received from the community gave them a sense of belonging
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in possession
belongings plural
transportable items that one owns
packed up all their belongings and moved across the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staying
to have or be in a usual or proper place
your shoes belong in the closet, not in the middle of the living room where people will trip on them
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pertaining
to be the property of a person or group of persons
those textbooks belong to the school system and not to the students
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of belonging
Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The communities that contribute every day while still having their belonging questioned.
—Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
While not all offices or remote cultures may support a ‘bring your pet to work day,’ there are some easy ways to create a more pet-friendly culture that drives a sense of belonging and increases organizational reputation.
—Marissa Andrada, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belonging
Noun
Harper says the contract should clearly state the mover’s liability for your belongings, pickup and delivery dates and all payment terms.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The communities that contribute every day while still having their belonging questioned.
—Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
His poems distilled the tension between belonging and alienation, capturing a society where every day life persisted under the long shadow of armed checkpoints and simmering mistrust.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
While not all offices or remote cultures may support a ‘bring your pet to work day,’ there are some easy ways to create a more pet-friendly culture that drives a sense of belonging and increases organizational reputation.
—Marissa Andrada, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belonging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonging
Noun
-
Kurt's key takeaway Dating apps thrive on intimacy, but cyberattacks turn that intimacy into a massive risk.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The budding romance between 20th-century combat nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall and 18th-century Highland warrior Jamie Fraser was undeniably swoonworthy; the intimacy thoughtfully rendered.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
City had 61 per cent possession and their passing accuracy in the final third was 84 per cent before the break compared to Liverpool’s dismal 43 per cent.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The control does not have to be an arrest or physical possession of a person.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That is why staying alert after breach reports matters.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Lillusory Women’s Oversized Cardigan An oversized cardigan is one of the best travel staples for staying warm without giving up on looking stylish, and with its deep pockets and snuggly fit, the Lillusory Oversized Cardigan is one of the best early deals under $30.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two bills pertaining to firing squad executions for death row inmates won’t advance further this session unless the authors propose them as amendments to other bills.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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As Landfair details in the book for the first time, the years between 2002 – when Kelly was arrested on a 21-count indictment pertaining to child pornography charges – and his 2008 acquittal were spent under a fog, with Kelly keeping Landfair under his thumb even more than before.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are no frills or fancy touches, but a sense of familiarity and open-mindedness radiates throughout.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The familiarity was instantaneous.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fact-check things on social media before reposting them, using sources that provide links to original documents.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Kisilevych noted that some Ukrainians are promised that if things go wrong, they will be exchanged for Ukrainian citizens held as prisoners of war by Russia.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Michael Hicks weighs in on how a copy‑paste bill has lawmakers going after degrees Indiana doesn’t even offer in his latest op-ed.—
Kurtcia Collazo,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
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At one point, NBC’s color commentator Cris Collinsworth openly wondered how many yards Walker had picked up after going backward.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
They’d been drawn by the pay, but also by a sense of altruism and imagined kinship.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In Texas, kids taken into state custody leave a kinship placement twice as often as the nationwide rate, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal data tracking kids removed from their homes in a four-year period.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonging. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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