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Definition of checknext
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as in bill
the amount owed at a bar or restaurant or the slip of paper stating the amount diners at that temple of gastronomy often look shocked when they receive the check

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as in statement
a record of goods sold or services performed together with the costs due request a detailed check from the company before sending any money

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4
as in ticket
a small sheet of plastic, paper, or paperboard showing that the bearer has a claim to something (as admittance) handed over a check for his coat

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5
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice the judiciary is intended to be a check on the executive and legislative branches of government

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
as in fissure
an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure the network of fine checks on the surface would indicate that the painting is quite old

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb check contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of check are bridle, curb, and restrain. While all these words mean "to hold back from or control in doing something," check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity, or impetus.

trying to check government spending

In what contexts can bridle take the place of check?

While in some cases nearly identical to check, bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding in.

bridle an impulse to throw the book down

When can curb be used instead of check?

Although the words curb and check have much in common, curb suggests an abrupt or drastic checking.

learn to curb your appetite

Where would restrain be a reasonable alternative to check?

In some situations, the words restrain and check are roughly equivalent. However, restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion from acting or from going to extremes.

restrained themselves from laughing

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 check
Noun
The shelter’s team handled over 21,000 service requests and made nearly 12,000 field responses in 2025, including more than 3,300 welfare checks, 1,100 bite reports and 3,600 animal pickups. Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Certified technicians with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Fort Worth District Office also offer car seat safety checks. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
With its open kitchen, family room and sunroom that opened onto a deck, the four-bedroom, $460,000 condo in the nearby suburb of Hudsonville checked every box. Emily Elconin For Cnn, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 An Instagram post on May 17 from Sanders said the bar owner checked himself into a facility after a suicide attempt. Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for check
Recent Examples of Synonyms for check
Noun
  • Know More Republican leaders are preparing for Democratic opponents of the college sports bill to dig in, dragging out the rest of the schedule.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • States United bills itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to the rule of law and free, fair, secure elections.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The inspections followed up on earlier issues that had caused concerns among local residents.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • With anti-cull sabotage ruled out, suspicion settled on the food-inspection agency.
    J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and expressed sorrow over the deaths.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Khaled Abdul Malek, who testified about being detained and tortured under Alsheikh’s direction, praised the sentence in a statement.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This year, 51 percent of ballet-ticket buyers were under the age of 50 with 20-somethings in the majority of those seats.
    Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The winner told lottery officials that the $10 lottery ticket purchase was on a whim.
    Paula Wethington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Hnin Aye read every news article about new passport restrictions and regulations, which seemed to change every month.
    Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The big question mark around these companies is whether the White House pushes through a ban or restriction on diesel fuel exports.
    Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Groundwater steadily rises through fissures in the limestone bedrock, providing the spring with a constant flow of pristine water.
    Savannah Born, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Allegations expose fissures within SEIU Two law firms conducted separate investigations into Regan’s behavior at SEIU California, an umbrella group consisting of 17 local service unions.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The motions precede understanding as the lines perpetually reverse, halt, and cascade toward discovery—more scar, than solution.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Ultimately, Cramer said his conversations at Dreamforce left him confident the industry has time to address AI’s risks without bringing development to a halt.
    Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In November 2024, for instance, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a policy banning transgender people from using some Capitol restrooms that do not correspond with their gender at birth.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • To construct this curve, experts formed a cross section of objects in higher dimensions, the boundary of which corresponds to the elliptic curve.
    Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Check.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/check. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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