say 1 of 3

Definition of saynext
1
2
3
as in to recite
to give from memory say your prayers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

say

2 of 3

adverb

say

3 of 3

noun

as in share
the right to express a wish, choice, or opinion even if they decide otherwise, at least I had my say

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 say
Verb
Utemuratov said Nurlanuly is just one example of the rise of tennis in non-traditional tennis countries in Asia. James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026 Shutdowns have lost their power to shock unless clear catastrophe ensues − say, disrupting air travel for millions of Americans − or records are broken. Susan Page, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
These various layers of oversight allow the public to have a say in the appearance of the White House — the United States’ most recognizable symbol. Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026 Elon Musk, who led the DOGE initiative as a special government agent, stepped down at the end of May 2025, after earlier casting doubt on whether the checks were feasible and noting that Congress and the president would have final say. Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for say
Recent Examples of Synonyms for say
Verb
  • The singer then materialized and handed the boy one of his Grammys and told him always to believe in himself.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Crashes, luge athletes will tell you, are part of the game, a necessary teaching tool that helps young lugers learn how to navigate sliding on their back down an icy course, sometimes faster than 90 miles per hour.
    Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Whaley, who spoke after Parks, expressed a similar sentiment.
    ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The agency owns additional acreage in the area, and Platform Ventures had expressed interest in buying about 305 more acres from Port KC for further industrial development.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Sylvie Terjesen, 16, won the regional Poetry Out Loud competition at the San Diego Central Library downtown, where 12 students recited poems in two rounds.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • But being ready for school involves a lot more than a child’s ability to count or recite their ABCs.
    Makiya Seminera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Until recently, the markets had assumed that companies would be buoyed by the massive amount of capex (capital expenditure) going into AI, and that AI would generate new efficiencies and higher productivity that would ultimately result in higher revenues and earnings per share.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • In the past, scientists had assumed that the ability to pretend and consider multiple realities was unique to humans.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • By Thursday, investigators were looking for a man who’s about five feet nine or five feet ten, of average build.
    Paige Williams, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • El Salvador has received about 250 Venezuelan nationals in March last year, while the other nations received far fewer deportees, ranging from 29 sent to Equatorial Guinea to none sent to Palau so far, according to the report.
    STEPHEN GROVES, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The share of Americans who report being satisfied with their current lives is also the second-lowest in the survey’s history — higher only than the percentage recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Alphabet and Meta shares are each up 3% this year.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said at trial that the custody exchange on the day of the shooting was a ruse for Payne to talk his way back into Lane's life.
    Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Keith Law is doing a live chat today to talk MLB prospects.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The nonprofit group, whose name mirrors phrasing that has been used in Bennet’s campaign messaging, does not disclose its donors.
    Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
  • After all, Snow Falling on Cedars is constituted of dense and mellifluous prose, whereas Evelyn in Transit—to borrow phrasing from its publisher’s marketing language—is a crystalline novel written in a spare, precise style.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Say.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/say. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on say

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!