COURSES Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

courses 1 of 2

noun

plural of course

as in procedures

a way of acting or proceeding the president's usual course has been to obtain advice from several people and then make up his own mind

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Relevance

as in classes

a series of lectures on a subject a course on American history from the colonial period to the present

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as in processes

a usually fixed or ordered series of actions or events leading to a result set out on the course that would lead to a college degree

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as in routes

the direction along which something or someone moves the river follows a southeasterly course to the ocean

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as in canals

an open man-made passageway for water the Erie Canal was replaced by a much larger course, the New York State Barge Canal

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courses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of course

as in tracks

to go after or on the track of after coursing the conspirators for months, the federal agents closed in and made the arrests

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as in traverses

to make one's way through, across, or over once the threat of terrorism became apparent, fighter jets began coursing that corridor on a daily basis

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as in races

to proceed or move quickly racehorses coursing down the track

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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 courses

Noun

There is obviously a larger lesson lurking here, one about needing to trick out courses to combat unending progress, but no one has any time for that. —

Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 16 May 2026 This intersection between kitchens and spirits spills over from main courses into desserts too. —

Carinne Geil Botta, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 Peters was also ordered to complete firearm-safety and wildlife-protection courses. —

Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026 Those thoughts were echoed by Barry Svrluga of The Athletic, who believes East Potomac should feature shorter courses for kids and older people. —

Mike Stunson, USA Today, 15 May 2026 The four-movement work begins in anguish but courses through a bucolic, cheerful ländler and a rather violent burlesque before resolving into a final Adagio that critics have long characterized as a quiet but solid affirmation of life. —

Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 14 May 2026 If your table can't decide what to order, go for the Indecision Menu—choose from two to five courses and let the chef do the rest. —

Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026 This sort of attention to dessert is otherwise increasingly rare; too many ambitious kitchens pour all their resources into their savory menus and then punt on the sweet courses, serving a scoop of gelato in a fancy coupe, or a slice of cake assembled off-site. —

Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 10 May 2026 Brett Schneider, a marketing veteran who teaches courses on fandom at UCLA, locates the Prada sequel’s appeal in something deeper than nostalgia. —

Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 May 2026

Verb

But Open, Heaven also courses with youth’s great agony, the cruelty that learning to love should be inexorably followed by learning to grieve its undoing. —

Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026 Such is the power of cachaça, the essential and irresistible Brazilian sugar cane spirit that courses through each round of tropical cocktails passed across the bar. —

Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2026 More fundamentally, the Christian nationalism that courses through Project 2025 has been somewhat eclipsed by other priorities. —

David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 29 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for courses

Noun

The concept extends beyond traditional medical tourism, where patients travel temporarily for surgeries or procedures before returning home.

— Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The competitive clinic market has also pushed standards higher, with advanced technology and meticulous service now the norm for visitors seeking everything from a basic facial to more involved cosmetic procedures.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026