as in to commend
to express to (someone) admiration for his or her success or good fortune
let me be the first to congratulate you on winning the award
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of congratulate
Kelce congratulated Wagner backstage.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
The group congratulated Williams for winning his battle.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Green congratulated Avery on his retirement.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Feb. 2026
Rehmet’s labor union congratulated him on his election victory.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
The group congratulated Williams for winning his battle.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Green congratulated Avery on his retirement.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Feb. 2026
Rehmet’s labor union congratulated him on his election victory.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congratulate
Verb
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That was the closest the 2026 DGA speeches came to being political outside of union support, with directors Coogler and Safdie both commending the insurance the guild provides (particularly as each director has a child that is currently sick).—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Feb. 2026
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His teammates rallied behind him — including Sakamoto, men’s short program winner Yuma Kagiyama (who bested Malinin with a truly exceptional showing) and pairs favorites Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara — commending the rock solid performance.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Everybody is rooting for you guys and everybody's cheering for you.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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In Oklahoma City, after several protests and a packed city council meeting, a company that had planned to sell its warehouse to ICE backed out of the deal – a move cheered by Republican Mayor David Holt.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the winning score was announced Cizeron hugged his coach and covered his face while crying.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The longer horizon-hugging bath gives those warm hues more time to develop and persist across a broader swath of sky.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The philanthropic couple held each other tight at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May as Amal wore a silver jumpsuit accessorized with a black belt while George complimented the look in a dark silver suit.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
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In his own confessional interview, Jordan compliments Kirk’s appearance.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the same breath, Cosgrove praised Diggins for being vulnerable throughout her rise up the ranks, such as sharing her struggle with an eating disorder, which has played a role in inspiring the next generation to face their own struggles.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
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Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, praised the mayor’s directive in a statement.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congratulate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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