1
as in adherences
the following of a custom, rule, or law
the observance of this family tradition would make your grandmother very happy observance of the smoking ban in public buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rituals
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
some religions require very specific observances on holy days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observances
Noun
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While many cultures around the world have long celebrated this threshold with unique rituals that honor both abundance and release in the days leading up to winter, today’s rituals capture a more contemporary perspective on the seasonal shift.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
18 Sep. 2025 -
That readiness extends to his daily rituals.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Astronomers might be close to confirming the presence of an Earth-like atmosphere on an exoplanet for the first time, if more detailed analyses verify preliminary observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
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However, based on the most recent observations amassed by tools including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), KY26 is much smaller than anticipated.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Notably, most viewers are watching the Emmys and other award ceremonies in bite-sized clips, scattered through social media timelines, rather than the full ceremony, and don’t pay as much attention to the running time.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Pregame ceremonies honored the victims and heroes of the terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people in 2001.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Other tools found in the gravesites appear to be brand new and were buried with the dead during funerary rites.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
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The film begins with our protagonist, Ahmed, carrying out his late father’s funeral rites while verses are read from an ancient Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Observances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observances. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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