1
2
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass
dust has been collecting under my bed for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to compile
to bring together from several sources into a single volume or list
collected the author's early short stories, which were originally published in several obscure sci-fi magazines
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to gather
to bring together in one body or place
she collects antique silverware
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to meet
to come together into one body or place
a crowd collected at the beach as the sun slowly set over the horizon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in invocation
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collect
Saige Miller, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
Nine different players collected a knock and four different players hit home runs.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Interest in USOs is growing as databases like Enigma collect and visualize reports, prompting scientists and defense experts to take a closer look.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collect
Verb
The massive tranche of documents — including emails, photos and other documents — are materials collected during the Justice Department's investigation into Epstein and Maxwell.
—Saige Miller, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
Nine different players collected a knock and four different players hit home runs.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
Multiple programs and projects face the axe, including the Mars Sample Return Mission, which is currently underway, with the Perseverance rover caching rock and soil samples that a later spacecraft would fly to Mars and collect.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Interest in USOs is growing as databases like Enigma collect and visualize reports, prompting scientists and defense experts to take a closer look.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collect
Verb
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Wright, who formerly worked as a detective, said the video contains apparent facial features such as a mustache and that investigators should be able to calculate height, shoe size and brands of clothing.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her life’s work was stolen early Monday when thieves swiped a shipping box containing many of her puppets from outside her Beachwood Canyon apartment.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During a subsequent conversation with Humpal and an onsite investigation, DNR staff determined the spill was coming from the west side of the operation where snow melt and a broken waterline caused more water to accumulate.—
Cami Koons,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
10 Feb. 2026
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The trust accumulated over those projects was what gave both Netflix and Honnold the confidence to mount a spectacle as daring as a rope-less skyscraper climb captured on live TV.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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The most recent Major Cities Chiefs Association survey, which was made up of statistics compiled from 67 of 68 responding law enforcement agencies and released earlier in February, shows homicides were down just over 19% last year.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And as traders bought more, the gains gathered steam, resulting in skyrocketing prices.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Several dozen demonstrators also gathered at Temple and Alameda streets near the federal building, and a broadcast report said police issued a dispersal order there.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Seahawks and Rams met in the NFC Championship Game, which was only decided by four points.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Milwaukee-area real estate market has far too few homes to meet feverish homebuyer demand.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This happened within the first several hours of the President’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, in March.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Violette’s nostalgic invocation of the aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s did not so much channel the utopianism of the counterculture as mourn its passing, returning again and again to the grave of the last mythic moment when radical change seemed possible.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jeremy’s savory dishes are composed and confident; standouts have included a vibrant duck salad, delicate waloo crudo, mussels escabeche and expertly prepared American red snapper.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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The resulting material is an aerogel composed of 99% air by volume.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Or, to put it another way, LightBar is assembling bounty hunters to track down misuse of Hollywood IP.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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By combining past and recent Hubble observations of the Egg Nebula, researchers have assembled the most detailed portrait yet of its layered structure, offering new clues about how dying stars sculpt the material that will eventually help form future generations of stars and planets.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collect. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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