synonym

noun

Definition of synonymnext
as in equivalent
a word having the same meaning as another word He needed an synonym for "cold," and decided to use "freezing."

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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 synonym There’s not a team in professional sports that gets made fun of in pop culture more regularly than the Jets, often portrayed as a synonym for failure. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 27 May 2026 The Zcash flaw is a stark reminder to the accounting profession that complexity is not a synonym for security. — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Which is why people are still talking about Mangione’s case, using his name as a synonym for the verb to kill, and mirroring aspects of his alleged crime, more than a year later. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026 Concrete, the structure’s dominant material, may be a synonym for fixed and definite, but the experience within is inescapably fluid. — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for synonym
Recent Examples of Synonyms for synonym
  1. equivalent
  2. alternative
  3. substitute
Noun
  • The center of Super Typhoon Bavi, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, was passing over Rota, an island of 2,000 people in the Northern Mariana Islands.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • In fact, the ratio is typical of that found on the outer edge of planet-forming discs around young stars, implying 3I/ATLAS formed a long way out from its parent star, perhaps in the equivalent of its Kuiper belt.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of equivalent
Noun
  • In a statement, an AT&T spokesperson said modern alternatives to copper hold up better during disasters and said landline service wouldn’t be discontinued until at least June 1, 2027.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • The fact that a 32-year-old Fabinho has been looked to from the bench tells its own story, but the youthful profiles of Danilo Santos and Ederson do provide alternatives that would be deserving of more minutes in the United States.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of alternative
Noun
  • Haaland, a fan favorite in the tournament, will start the match on the substitutes' bench, ESPN reported Friday.
    — Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • Mathewson noted that merely keeping abreast of the latest developments is no substitute for working with them directly.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of substitute

Browse Nearby Words

synods
synonym
synonymous
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Cite this Entry

“Synonym.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/synonym. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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