as in taxes
a charge usually of money collected by the government from people or businesses for public use
the legislators approved a new levy on imported cattle to help protect American ranchers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in drafts
to pick especially for required military service
unprepared for war, the government was forced to levy young citizens on a scale that was unprecedented in its history
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imposes
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
the baseball commissioner levied a fine against every player involved in the fracas
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 levies
Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Wealth taxes layer in additional levies, which, among other things, function like highly confiscatory effective tax rates on normal investment returns.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
On that score, Reilly promised not to raise the county’s base property tax levies, as Preckwinkle to her credit has done over her 15 years in the job.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Private copying levies exist because hardware only has value if intellectual property exists to fill it.
—Shain Shapiro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Businesses report that existing tariffs are raising costs and that uncertainty around potential new levies complicate planning and investment, according to the Fed's Beige Book.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
These goods are at risk of becoming more expensive due to the higher levies.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
But Washington’s levies, paired with Beijing’s insatiable appetite for commodities such as metals, beef, and soy, have only strengthened Latin America’s ties with the Chinese economy while helping reduce its exposure to US policy changes.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The FairTax Act of 2025 was the latest bid to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and replace income tax and other levies with a national sales tax.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
The government also levies an 8% transient guest tax that would be included in the mix.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
As Sam Stolton reports, the development could — if Google is eventually found to be non-compliant with the rules — pave the way for potential fines as high as 10% of global annual sales, though Brussels regulators seldom levies the maximum penalties.
—Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
Idaho already levies an additional $140 annual fee for electric vehicle owners and in 2021, lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to double these fees.
—Idaho Statesman, 10 Dec. 2025
Casting blame on Tylenol for autism wrongly positions the condition as a problem—and levies unfair guilt on moms.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 23 Sep. 2025
Unlike the blanket levies the US imposed on much of the world in April, the steel and aluminum tariffs are not the target of litigation making its way to the Supreme Court.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Commerce City levies $16,501 in use tax on a typical home, while Arapahoe County charges $539.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
However, this tax liability does not stop at the federal level, as Wisconsin also levies an income tax.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
When levies spiked 150% for exports from the Asian country days later, everything slowed.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Wealth taxes layer in additional levies, which, among other things, function like highly confiscatory effective tax rates on normal investment returns.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
On that score, Reilly promised not to raise the county’s base property tax levies, as Preckwinkle to her credit has done over her 15 years in the job.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Private copying levies exist because hardware only has value if intellectual property exists to fill it.
—Shain Shapiro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Businesses report that existing tariffs are raising costs and that uncertainty around potential new levies complicate planning and investment, according to the Fed's Beige Book.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
These goods are at risk of becoming more expensive due to the higher levies.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
But Washington’s levies, paired with Beijing’s insatiable appetite for commodities such as metals, beef, and soy, have only strengthened Latin America’s ties with the Chinese economy while helping reduce its exposure to US policy changes.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The FairTax Act of 2025 was the latest bid to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and replace income tax and other levies with a national sales tax.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
For example, many hotels in the city belong to the Convention Center Facility District, which levies an additional 4% room tax to fund the rehabilitation and expansion of the convention center.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
The government also levies an 8% transient guest tax that would be included in the mix.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
As Sam Stolton reports, the development could — if Google is eventually found to be non-compliant with the rules — pave the way for potential fines as high as 10% of global annual sales, though Brussels regulators seldom levies the maximum penalties.
—Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
Idaho already levies an additional $140 annual fee for electric vehicle owners and in 2021, lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to double these fees.
—Idaho Statesman, 10 Dec. 2025
Casting blame on Tylenol for autism wrongly positions the condition as a problem—and levies unfair guilt on moms.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 23 Sep. 2025
Unlike the blanket levies the US imposed on much of the world in April, the steel and aluminum tariffs are not the target of litigation making its way to the Supreme Court.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Commerce City levies $16,501 in use tax on a typical home, while Arapahoe County charges $539.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
However, this tax liability does not stop at the federal level, as Wisconsin also levies an income tax.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for levies
Verb
-
The Heat almost never drafts busts.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Earlier this week, 43 education advocacy groups called on lawmakers to extend mayoral control by only two years and strip the mayor of his majority appointments to the panel, while a commission drafts a proposal for a new form of school governance.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Texas imposes a 10% cap for lending to people in that state.—
Carter Dougherty,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Santa Ana also imposes a local retail tax on cannabis, and dedicates that revenue to youth and prevention programs.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An adaptation of the Capcom video game series from director Kitao Sakurai, the film has Koji playing the franchise’s central martial artist, Ryu, who reunites with Ken (Centineo) when Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the World Warrior Tournament.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Angela Burr [Olivia Colman] finds him in the Swiss hotel and recognizes a similar moral fingerprint and recruits him to become a field agent for MI6.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In order to get that power to your home, your electric company charges a distribution charge.—
John Shumway,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The EverBank Performance® Money Market also offers a favorable APY and requires no minimum deposit and charges no monthly maintenance fees.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Watchdog Fintrac fines crypto exchange Cryptomus some $126 million for failing to flag potentially criminal transactions.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Levies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/levies. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
