1
as in tournaments
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
decided he would indulge in a friendly basketball game with his friends before dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in plans
a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective
the crook told his accomplice, "Here's the game: look surprised when the police ask about the money"
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in professions
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
stand-up comedy is his game, and he's one of a handful of people making a decent living at it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in areas
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
the education game simply was no longer of interest to her
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 games
The Bern, Switzerland, native started just three games in his 2024-25 campaign.
—
Ava Dicecca,
Sun Sentinel,
30 June 2026
Wilson Contreras hit a three-run homer, Caleb Durbin added a home run of his own, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Monday to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
—
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Overall, the jurors do far better than most players in social deduction games.
—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
30 June 2026
Sure, Michael Bradley played more than 50 internationals games for his father Bob, including four in the 2010 World Cup.
—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
Wilson had been back with the A’s for fewer than 20 days before suffering the injury and missing the club’s last four games.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2026
Mbappé has 16 World Cup goals, four scored in the first two games of the tournament.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
30 June 2026
Javier Sanoja had three hits and Owen Caissie contributed two hits for Miami, which has won all four games against Colorado this season.
—
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
The Mets haven’t decided whether to sell at the trade deadline or not, with Stearns saying their only goal is to win as many games as possible the rest of the season.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2026
Ava Dicecca,
Sun Sentinel,
30 June 2026
Wilson Contreras hit a three-run homer, Caleb Durbin added a home run of his own, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Monday to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
—
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Overall, the jurors do far better than most players in social deduction games.
—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
30 June 2026
Sure, Michael Bradley played more than 50 internationals games for his father Bob, including four in the 2010 World Cup.
—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
Wilson had been back with the A’s for fewer than 20 days before suffering the injury and missing the club’s last four games.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2026
Mbappé has 16 World Cup goals, four scored in the first two games of the tournament.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
30 June 2026
Javier Sanoja had three hits and Owen Caissie contributed two hits for Miami, which has won all four games against Colorado this season.
—
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
The Mets haven’t decided whether to sell at the trade deadline or not, with Stearns saying their only goal is to win as many games as possible the rest of the season.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for games
Noun
-
Ronaldo, 41, scored twice in the win, becoming the first player to score in six World Cup tournaments.
-
No country has ever hosted a World Cup in back-to-back tournaments.
Noun
-
Britain remembers well the fiasco of 2022, when then-Prime Minister Liz Truss triggered a mass sell-off of bonds after presenting plans for huge unfunded tax cuts.
-
In communities nationwide, officials said ICE canceled plans to convert commercial warehouses into large detention sites.
Noun
-
Afghan Taliban authorities have imposed draconian restrictions on women and girls, including bans on education beyond primary school and on working in all but very few professions, as well as strict regulations on what women are allowed to wear in public.
-
Artificial intelligence has already begun reshaping how work is performed across industries and professions.
Noun
-
Daniela DaSuta, founder of SommSpace in Austin, recommends looking for wines labeled Alto Adige, Collio, Collio Goriziano or Friuli Colli Orientali, all benchmark areas for the variety.
-
The city presented three scenarios for Hemphill, which would involve either no change to the current traffic flow, adding two lanes of traffic back in certain areas, or adding them back along the entire corridor.
Noun
-
Ski and snowboard streetstyle, which have had X Games demos that have transformed into medal events, aren’t included in the league structure, but may have standalone competitions.
-
So expect rainbow flags around the stadium, art competitions in the city and street parties galore.
Noun
-
Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler.
-
Researchers must be willing to modify protocols and strategies to address concerns and barriers to participation.
Noun
-
Equally vital, aging misers addicted to their vocations need palliatives and surrogates for the drug of importance.
-
Catholics represent about 29% of the population, and the country is a major source of growth and priestly vocations for the church.
Noun
-
The campus includes a towering museum that covers the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president and first lady, while public spaces include a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground and athletic center, basketball courts and a picnic area with grills.
-
The campus includes a towering museum that covers the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president and first lady, while public spaces include a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground and athletic center, basketball courts and a picnic area with grills.
Cite this Entry
“Games.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/games. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
