check 1 of 2

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as in bill
the amount owed at a bar or restaurant or the slip of paper stating the amount diners at that temple of gastronomy often look shocked when they receive the check

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as in statement
a record of goods sold or services performed together with the costs due request a detailed check from the company before sending any money

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4
as in ticket
a small sheet of plastic, paper, or paperboard showing that the bearer has a claim to something (as admittance) handed over a check for his coat

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5
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice the judiciary is intended to be a check on the executive and legislative branches of government

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as in fissure
an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure the network of fine checks on the surface would indicate that the painting is quite old

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check

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb check contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of check are bridle, curb, and restrain. While all these words mean "to hold back from or control in doing something," check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity, or impetus.

trying to check government spending

In what contexts can bridle take the place of check?

While in some cases nearly identical to check, bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding in.

bridle an impulse to throw the book down

When can curb be used instead of check?

Although the words curb and check have much in common, curb suggests an abrupt or drastic checking.

learn to curb your appetite

Where would restrain be a reasonable alternative to check?

In some situations, the words restrain and check are roughly equivalent. However, restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion from acting or from going to extremes.

restrained themselves from laughing

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 check
Noun
That enables prospects to better understand what’s working against them and how to fix any issues — before the credit check, lending rate gets locked or application gets denied. Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Jail employees found him around 5:35 a.m. while doing morning checks, according to a statement from Bradley Smith, a spokesperson for the office. Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
There’s no one checking tickets. Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025 In-room tablets and mobile apps may also be used to order room service, check folios on demand and adjust lighting. Eve Chen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for check
Recent Examples of Synonyms for check
Noun
  • Critics and rights groups argued that both the ban and the bill function as tools for censorship, threatening freedom of expression, press freedom and fundamental rights.
    Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Which faction would win such a battle will never be known, however, because a year after the bill was signed and after lengthy negotiations, a compromise was worked out and quickly enacted.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Investigators have interviewed multiple former Esparto fire chiefs and searched reams of department documents going back decades to look for fire permits, building plans and inspection records.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The company provides process control and yield management solutions for semiconductor industries, including defect inspection, metrology (the science of measurement), process monitoring, computational lithography, and data analytics products.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • To verify the details of their story, Eldeib examined thousands of pages of medical records, billing statements, state agency reports and insurance documents.
    Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • New record highs reached for average 401(k) balances On average, many savers didn't need to dread taking a peek at their 401(k) statements as of late June.
    Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • At the very beginning, Stebbins is who all of the other boys think is either going to win the walk or will get the first ticket out.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The organization has defended its dynamic pricing strategy, part of a plan to generate $3 billion in ticket sales next year, arguing that the money funds the sport around the world.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Both Poland and Latvia announced new restrictions on Thursday.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Once magnets for buyers seeking sunshine – and often looser Covid restrictions – demand has started to cool off in these states.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Wyatt exited and then returned to the project amid creative fissures, including wrangling over the movie’s tone, pacing, and length.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Trump is facing a catch-22 in the face of growing fissures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mounting departures of scientists and experts over vaccine policy.
    Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But just as the journey was about to begin, COVID-19 forced everything to a halt.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
  • At Walt Disney World in Orlando free buses from the airport to its on-site hotels ground to a halt along with contactless room keys which came in the form of collectable wristbands.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The entity lists an address that corresponds to a San Francisco office of the Jordan Park Group, a financial investment company.
    Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Similarly, Whitehouse is not yet the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a title that tends to correspond, roughly, to tenure.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Check.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/check. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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