1
as in to hold
to have within the top drawer of the cabinet contains my stamp collection

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
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4
as in to compose
to gain emotional or mental control of could hardly contain herself when she heard that she had won the scholarship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word contain different from other verbs like it?

The words accommodate and hold are common synonyms of contain. While all three words mean "to have or be capable of having within," contain implies the actual presence of a specified substance or quantity within something.

the can contains a quart of oil

Where would accommodate be a reasonable alternative to contain?

The meanings of accommodate and contain largely overlap; however, accommodate stresses holding without crowding or inconvenience.

the hall can accommodate 500 people

When is it sensible to use hold instead of contain?

While in some cases nearly identical to contain, hold implies the capacity of containing or the usual or permanent function of containing or keeping.

the bookcase will hold all my textbooks

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 contain This post contains minor spoilers for Happy Gilmore 2. Nearly 30 years ago, Christopher McDonald left an indelible mark on pop culture with his performance as smarmy professional golfer Shooter McGavin in the 1996 sports comedy classic Happy Gilmore. Megan McCluskey, Time, 25 July 2025 Her rental car, containing her suitcase and all of her belongings, is towed. Jacqueline Tempera, People.com, 25 July 2025 When a reporter asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation on Tuesday, President Donald Trump could not contain himself a moment longer. Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025 But complexity theorists suspect that PSPACE is a much larger class, containing many problems that aren’t in P. Ben Brubaker, Wired News, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for contain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contain
Verb
  • And believe it or not, plenty are genuinely comfortable, holding their own against traditional footwear.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 15 July 2025
  • Dreck is intended to highlight that rules are not alone in the regulatory universe, and urge that policymakers recognize and be held to account for the laundering of regulation by non-rule means to influence outcomes or inflict obligations, whether intentional or not.
    Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Penalties for breaking the rules include confiscation and further disciplinary action.
    Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 25 July 2025
  • Places to visit include St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, a church that is more than 100 years old and is home to more than 350 relics, the Behringer-Crawford Museum, the more than 700 acre Devou Park and Clive, a 30 foot art installation of an alien.
    Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • Data from 2023 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that Black workers comprise about 13% of the workforce but hold only 3.3% of executive-level jobs.
    Gena Cox, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • Developer Cal West Living has begun pre-sales for the two-story and three-story residences that comprise the Citrus Bay community, located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and I Street.
    Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2025
Verb
  • Part of the reason for this is that LLMs make use of statistics and probabilities when selecting the words for the response being composed.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Coalition districts are predominantly composed of minority voters who tend to vote together.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • At some point, perhaps, Congress might even craft legislation that gives more direct guidance on how the EPA should regulate greenhouse gases.
    Justin Worland, Time, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The crypto law, known in the chambers as Bill No. 247, is a renewed and more robust legislative effort to regulate cryptoassets in Panama, introduced in 2025 by Alternate Deputy Solís.
    Javier Bastardo, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Moreover, according to soccer media outlet GOAL, Austin FC boasts the 11th-best attendance record in MLS, despite many teams having a larger venue than Q2 Stadium.
    Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • The Red Cliff Ojibwe reservation boasts the first tribal national park at Frog Bay, with beaches featuring views of the Apostle Islands and a 1.7-mile trail system with interpretive signs about conservation efforts in the area.
    Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • Led by Boston College sociologists Wen Fan and Juliet Schor, the study was the largest of its kind, involving 2,896 employees across 141 organizations in the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
    Nick Sibilla, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
  • The team behind Darling's is also involved with some of Louisville's other beloved spots, including High Horse Bar and Spring Street Bar & Grill.
    Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • Firemen in their command center calm the fears of the locals who call in, law enforcement tracks down tomb robbers, while in the port of Torre Annunziata, Syrian tankers unload Ukrainian grain.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 July 2025
  • Jorgenson is not one of those — for him, the preparation itself is calming.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contain. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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