Thesaurus results for COSTS

costs 1 of 2

noun

plural of cost

as in expenses

a payment made in the course of achieving a result the newlyweds spared no cost in building the kitchen of their dreams

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in fees

the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something we can't afford the cost of a house just yet, so we're renting an apartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in prices

the loss or penalty involved in achieving a goal they won the war, but at a terrible cost in lives

Synonyms & Similar Words

costs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cost

as in fetches

to have a price of the raffle tickets cost a dollar each

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 costs

Noun

The timing couldn't be worse, as energy costs are on track to reach record highs this summer. — Dan Avery, CNBC, 6 July 2026 Be sure to weigh costs, storage needs and risk tolerance before making a decision. — Usa Today, USA Today, 7 July 2026 Trump tied this regular seasonal sale to his claims that his administration lowered costs for consumers, from gas prices to eggs. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 7 July 2026 Gartner has predicted that more than 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by 2027 over escalating costs, unclear value or weak risk controls. — Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 California is expected to spend about $50 billion from the general fund next year out of a total estimated at more than $220 billion in costs shared between the state and federal government, according to the LAO. — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Verb

Beyond that, self-parking typically costs $25 per day but may cost more during special events. — Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025 Shipping experts say rural delivery costs more because drivers make fewer stops per mile, increasing the cost per package. — Barbara Booth, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026 Worse, may car owners act like their car only costs the incremental cost of operating it, which can appear be under 5 cents/mile in an EV. — Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for costs

Noun

Seeking to close a $12 billion budget shortfall last year, the governor hoped to cut over $750 million from the state’s payroll expenses in salaries and wages.

— William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Campaign funds may be used to pay for a candidate’s childcare expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activities, according to the Federal Election Commission.

— Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 30 June 2026

Definition of expenses

Noun

To follow through on this commitment to affordability, the system implemented the Tuition Stability Plan in 2022, which locks in a student’s tuition and systemwide fees at their freshman-year rate for the duration of their undergraduate education.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Gonzales ran with a platform decisively to the left, supporting Medicare-for-all, raising the minimum wage and cracking down on junk fees.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of fees

Verb

His Cayuse Bionic Frog now fetches around $400 a bottle, and toward $600 for older vintages.

— Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Wild Arugula While standard arugula may be part of many reasonably priced salad mixes, the deliciously spicy, dainty wild arugula fetches premium prices of $4 to $6 for a 5-ounce bunch.

— Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 29 June 2026

Definition of fetches

Noun

The company plans to invest $11 billion globally in capital expenditures and research and development between 2025 and 2028, with a focus on technologies that support electrification and the energy transition.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
American Mission’s ads are independent expenditures, so the political committee cannot legally coordinate with the campaign or get Donalds’ approval.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Definition of expenditures

Verb

Camp Meeker Cabin stands as a thoughtful retreat that brings mountain living back to its essentials.

— Bridget Borgobello July 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.

— Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of brings

Browse Nearby Words

costly

costs

costume

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Costs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costs. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of costs

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on costs

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes