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as in to celebrate
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony a time when few people in New England observed Christmas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word observe different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of observe are celebrate, commemorate, and keep. While all these words mean "to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed," observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.

not all holidays are observed nationally

When is celebrate a more appropriate choice than observe?

The meanings of celebrate and observe largely overlap; however, celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.

traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner

When is it sensible to use commemorate instead of observe?

Although the words commemorate and observe have much in common, commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.

commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

When could keep be used to replace observe?

While the synonyms keep and observe are close in meaning, keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.

kept the Sabbath by refraining from work

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 observe The haunting of Liang's Chloe and the unraveling of her family are observed from the perspective of the very presence doing the haunting. Ew Staff, EW.com, 25 Jan. 2025 The scientists observed that the mice showed signs of worse memory, movement, speed, motor skills and endurance after being injected with the microplastics. Hatty Willmoth, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 That was from something James Stewart observed decades ago. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 Economists also observe that the labor market’s resilience is attributed to the robust demand in various industries. Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for observe 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observe
Verb
  • By all observations, the strong force obeys two important symmetries in nature: charge and parity.
    Paul Sutter, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2025
  • At some point the classical simulation will just fail because bouncing balls will never be able to replicate the peculiar quantum mechanical laws obeyed by sub-atomic particles.
    Vineer Bhansali, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • This can involve recognizing and celebrating individual and team achievements, encouraging open and honest feedback, and providing opportunities for team members to build personal connections.
    Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Days before the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Philadelphia’s mayor sought to dissuade celebrating fans from climbing light poles or onto other equipment.
    Phil Helsel, NBC News, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • As Clark stood with her family at midcourt, USC players and coaches sat on their bench minutes after their loss and watched highlights of Clark’s greatest moments at Iowa.
    Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Kansas City gave up a 2018 first round pick, a 2017 third round pick, and pick No. 27 to put themselves in position to acquire a quarterback who would watch and learn behind Smith for one season, before eventually taking over the entire NFL, and ushering Kansas City to new heights.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • When a planet retrogrades, its energy is turned inward which, in turn, encourages us to reflect on our personal lives.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Be sure to make achievable goals that also reflect your needs and desires.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Since noticing strange things happening in her home, Kayleigh began sharing videos of them on TikTok (@thegreenemanor).
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
  • In January 2023, a Delta plane was preparing for take off when air traffic controllers noticed another craft crossing the runway in its path.
    Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Before the action began, the proverbial ball was in Robert Lewandowski's court, who led the table with nine goals, followed by his Barcelona team-mate Raphinha with eight and Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy with seven.
    Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The faults at 6:10 p.m. and again at 6:11 p.m. coincided with two flashes in the vicinity of the transmission lines seen in a video captured by a camera at an Arco gas station in the moments before the Eaton fire began, followed by flames near the base of high-voltage transmission towers.
    Ivan Penn, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Another statue commemorates Rosa Parks, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat and move to the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, spurring the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by King and others.
    Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
  • The day commemorates the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln signing the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Feb. 1, 1865, according to the California African American Museum.
    Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Aside from eyeing her first Grammy win, Chiquis is going head-to-head with male superstars Peso Pluma, Carin León and Jessi Uribe as the sole female nominee.
    Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
  • The Bulls are building toward the long-term future, eyeing draft picks and shopping their top talent in the process.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near observe

Cite this Entry

“Observe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observe. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on observe

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