request 1 of 2

1
as in question
an act or instance of asking for information the medical columnist is unable to answer individual requests for specific information on various disorders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in demand
the state of being sought after especially for purchase reliable babysitters are much in request, especially on weekends

Synonyms & Similar Words

request

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word request distinct from other similar verbs?

The words ask and solicit are common synonyms of request. While all three words mean "to seek to obtain by making one's wants known," request implies greater formality and courtesy.

requests the pleasure of your company

In what contexts can ask take the place of request?

While in some cases nearly identical to request, ask implies no more than the statement of the desire.

ask a favor of a friend

When is it sensible to use solicit instead of request?

The words solicit and request are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, solicit suggests a calling attention to one's wants or desires by public announcement or advertisement.

a letter soliciting information

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 request
Noun
Representatives for Musk did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025 Bezos did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Jaden Amos, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
An online petition posted online in 2020 requested that child protective services investigate the couple. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025 Native chatbots can proactively request missing details or answer employees’ questions about reimbursement status or company policy. Marne Martin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for request
Recent Examples of Synonyms for request
Noun
  • If the answer to that question is no, then babysitting cannot be allowed.
    Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Forward-movement questions don’t have to be complicated.
    Lisa Christen, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In the rush to industrialize, companies built tracks everywhere, often with no regard for actual demand.
    Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Countries targeted by the levies have also taken or threatened punitive measures that could restrict their demand for U.S. exports.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • At their arraignment late Wednesday, a Brooklyn Criminal Court judge ordered the couple put on supervised release without bail.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Last August, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld that ruling and ordered a redo on the hearing to vacate Syed’s conviction.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Seahawks are seeking a first- and third-round pick in exchange for the 27-year-old Metcalf, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Thursday, and Metcalf is eyeing a new contract worth around $30 million per year.
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Ann Tsung, a NASA flight surgeon, is currently seeking approval to test whether GLP-1 agonists — drugs that have gained widespread attention under names such as Ozempic and Mounjaro as treatments for diabetes and obesity — can treat SANS by lowering intracranial pressure.
    Neil Savage, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • School board member Roberto Alonso also spoke at the February meeting and aligned himself with Gallon, asking the school district to provide a memo related to how BusPatrol revenue is being spent.
    Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson asked the sergeant at arms to eject Green from the floor.
    Nik Popli, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Netanyahu has resisted forming a commission of inquiry.
    Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Despite public pressure, including from the families of the roughly 1,200 people killed in the Oct. 7 attack and the 251 taken as hostages into Gaza, Netanyahu has resisted calls for a commission of inquiry.
    MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH, WAFAA SHURAFA, NATALIE MELZER AND TIA GOLDENBERG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Oakland’s market size typically would preclude a team there from getting revenue sharing at all.
    Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025
  • China has taken whatever market share in the Russian domestic market it’s wanted.
    David Remnick, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • When Parker invited his South Park partner Matt Stone to be his date, Stone initially wanted to wear a dress and pose as a fictitious European model.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The South Korean government invited William Ellsworth, a Stanford geophysicist, to study the Pohang quake and whether a nearby geothermal facility had caused it.
    Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Request.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/request. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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