BEREAVE Synonyms: 12 Similar Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

bereave

verb

bi-ˈrēv

Definition of bereave

as in to deprive

to take something away from news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereave

Verb

The pandemic closed the Vatican Museums for months, depriving the Holy See of one of its main sources of revenue.

— Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
That season, however, there was only a one-week break between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, depriving the league of its normal buffer zone.

— Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of deprive

Verb

Black Zombie uncovers the Haitian roots of the zombie, exposing how Western cinema transformed spiritual tradition into horror while stripping it of identity, agency, and history.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Higher ticket items are more likely to be resold, partially recycled or stripped for their materials such as gemstones.

— Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of strip

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.

Browse Nearby Words

berating

bereave

bereaved

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bereave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereave. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't