resemble

verb

re·​sem·​ble ri-ˈzem-bəl 

resembled; resembling ri-ˈzem-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to be like or similar to

he resembles his father

2

archaic : to represent as like

Examples of resemble in a Sentence

He strongly resembles his father in appearance and in temperament.

Terrier dogs closely resemble each other.

Recent Examples on the Web

As part of a deal, Putin has said the United States and its European allies can provide Ukraine with a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense pledge, according to a senior U.S. official. —Barry Hatton, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025

Finally, it is baked into a dense, tangy loaf that resembles French bread. —Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025

For the last few years, the Los Angeles Chargers have needed a legitimate speed threat at wide receiver in order to take advantage of quarterback Justin Herbert's throwing arm, which resembles a military-grade rocket launcher. —Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025

Along with personalized cleats and bats, players will wear special 'New Era' caps featuring a side patch of players’ numbers meant to resemble youthful illustrations, where each digit has a different color and design. —Hailey Roden, The Enquirer, 16 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English resemblen, rasemblen "to be like, compare," borrowed from Anglo-French resembler, rasembler "to be like, appear to be, compare (to)" (also continental Old French), from re- re- + sembler "to look like, seem to be" — more at semblance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for resemble

• semble
• tremble
• assemble
• dissemble
• disassemble
• reassemble

Kids Definition

resemble

verb

re·​sem·​ble ri-ˈzem-bəl 

resembled; resembling -b(ə-)liŋ 

: to be like or similar to

he resembles his father