1
as in tombs
a final resting place for a dead person
the forlorn boy put flowers on his mother's grave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in deaths
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities
a rock star who found his early grave in a plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 graves
Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Mexican authorities said Monday that five of the 10 missing workers from a mine operated by a Canadian company in the northwestern state of Sinaloa have been identified among 10 bodies found in clandestine graves last week in a nearby community.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Once favored by scientists and royalty, Haghartsin now holds the graves of kings.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Relatives hum around the graves, many of them women clad in the black ankle-length chadors favored by Iranian conservatives.
—Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
Eventually, a few survivors of these deportation efforts came back with terrifying news, that all those who were abducted from their homes and streets were taken to the nearby Ponary Forest and shot and buried in mass graves.
—Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
The regime has repeatedly met economic, social and political demands of Iranian citizens with prison cells and graves.
—Ramin Jahanbegloo, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Sadly, millions of seniors born between 1917 and 1926 or even later went to their graves bitter and disappointed — including my own mother, by the way!
—Tom Margenau, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
No one knows where Frank died and is buried, and the Oakwood graves of Helen, Ada, and Dewitt have no headstones.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2026
Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Visitors flock to the A-list graves here, with Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison among the most-visited.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Mexican authorities said Monday that five of the 10 missing workers from a mine operated by a Canadian company in the northwestern state of Sinaloa have been identified among 10 bodies found in clandestine graves last week in a nearby community.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Once favored by scientists and royalty, Haghartsin now holds the graves of kings.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Relatives hum around the graves, many of them women clad in the black ankle-length chadors favored by Iranian conservatives.
—Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
Eventually, a few survivors of these deportation efforts came back with terrifying news, that all those who were abducted from their homes and streets were taken to the nearby Ponary Forest and shot and buried in mass graves.
—Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
The regime has repeatedly met economic, social and political demands of Iranian citizens with prison cells and graves.
—Ramin Jahanbegloo, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Sadly, millions of seniors born between 1917 and 1926 or even later went to their graves bitter and disappointed — including my own mother, by the way!
—Tom Margenau, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
No one knows where Frank died and is buried, and the Oakwood graves of Helen, Ada, and Dewitt have no headstones.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Las acciones de Google son especialmente insensibles y graves ante el cierre administrativo temporal del gobierno (shutdown), ignorando las peticiones de funcionarios gubernamentales y organizaciones hispanas que les solicitaron mantener la programación de Univision en el paquete principal.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graves
Noun
-
The pyramids, the temples, the stunning gold jewelry found in royal tombs — all of these marvels depended on practical, everyday tools wielded by skilled hands.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Devotees often visit their tombs to seek a miraculous intervention.—
Vanessa Corcoran,
The Conversation,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Minneapolis protests picked up steam in January following the deaths of Good and Pretti, who were both clashing with immigration enforcement at the time of their deaths.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Overall, approximately 10 percent of the war’s deaths occurred in prisons.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kirby beautifully etches these notions into Miss Black America.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Will there be a scene in which these main characters pass each other in their cars, either on the freeway or a main thoroughfare, thus suggesting that their fates are inevitably intertwined?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
-
For stars, there are three main fates that a star can have, all of which are heavily dependent on their mass at birth.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The company also engraves the names of the two teams, the final score, the location of the game and its date on the trophy base.—
Paul Edward Parker,
The Providence Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Every watch represents almost a full year of work, and the watchmaker engraves his signature on a gold plaque inside the movement after final testing.—
Thor Svaboe,
Robb Report,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
No reason was provided for the shops’ demises.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Nov. 2025
-
The mission, the fourth of 2025, would also be Starship's first flight since May 27 amid a year plagued by explosive demises for the vehicle.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
When annual results are compiled each January, winners tend to be amateur grim reapers who predicted a mix of shocking young deaths and the passings of anyone over 90.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Two widows cashing out after their husband’s untimely and suspicious passings.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Graves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graves. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
