1
as in destining
to determine the fate of in advance
he is stoic in the face of adversity, bolstered by his faith that everything in life has been ordained by a higher power
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ordering
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
a new bill that would ordain the funding of public schools through state lottery revenues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in enacting
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the founders of the African republic ordained a form of government that was closely modeled on that of the United States
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordaining
Verb
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According to Grotewold, every table and bar seat was filled with people ordering multiple rounds of the normally $25 dish.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026 -
Invoking the Constitution and Scripture, the Texas district court judge wrote a scathing opinion ordering the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father after the two were detained outside their home in Minneapolis in January.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other countries, meanwhile, are enacting new laws to limit social media for children.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Los Angeles Times has carried out multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years, most recently enacting another 6% reduction to its newsroom in mid-2025.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The Vikings outgained the Cowboys, 311 to 183 yards, but committed five turnovers, dooming the home team to defeat.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Bradwell had commemorated his onboarding by requesting a cube from Claudius—not of tungsten but of bevelled glass.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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The two climbers, 47 and 50 years old, were requesting assistance, saying they were incapacitated and unable to continue their route.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At 37 years old, Stafford led the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46), while recording a career-low eight interceptions.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Attempting to break an Eastern Washington University receiving record is like trying to set a franchise passing mark with the Patriots.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ordaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordaining. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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