Definition of congratulatenext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 congratulate Neither William nor Kate congratulated Princess Eugenie publicly, which an insider said was significant. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 May 2026 She was congratulated by Larson after the announcement at Goodwin University in East Hartford. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026 John Kehriotis, a Kings minority owner, sat next to him and congratulated him. Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 11 May 2026 The Rock, Dwayne Johnson himself, congratulated Francis Mauigoa on social media when the Giants drafted him to be their new starting right guard in April. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congratulate
Verb
  • In his latest letter, Uthmeier commended the league for altering the Rooney Rule language on its website after receiving his initial warning letter in March but added the revisions raise more questions.
    Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • The actor described working with Madonna in Italy and commended her work ethic.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • The two leaders chatted during an opening ceremony that featured a brass band, marching military units and cheering children waving American and Chinese flags.
    Joe Walsh, CBS News, 14 May 2026
  • When center fielder Andy Pages secured the ball, the home fans at Dodger Stadium began cheering in anticipation of the double play.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson star in the writer-director’s third feature film, which received a six-minute standing ovation on Wednesday night as Schoenbrun hugged their stars to roaring applause and cheers from the crowd.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 13 May 2026
  • At one point, Schoenbrun mimicked smoking a joint and hugged their stars.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • Stellan Skarsgård complimented fellow juror Demi Moore on handling a range of challenging questions well, while Moore told him his answers were the shortest and funniest.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
  • Pigeon, a nostalgic blue-gray is the ideal soft shade to compliment a neutral facade.
    Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • Passed in the final days of session and signed into law by Lamont earlier this week, the bill was praised as a massive victory for the state’s labor community and has been strongly embraced by unions and workers advocacy groups.
    P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
  • This brings me back to the students who booed the real-estate developer praising AI.
    Hope Loudon, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congratulate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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