Definition of coherenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cohere contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cohere are adhere, cleave, cling, and stick. While all these words mean "to become closely attached," cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.

eggs will make the mixture cohere

When can adhere be used instead of cohere?

While in some cases nearly identical to cohere, adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.

antibodies adhering to a virus

In what contexts can cleave take the place of cohere?

The meanings of cleave and cohere largely overlap; however, cleave stresses strength of attachment.

the wet shirt cleaved to his back

When would cling be a good substitute for cohere?

The words cling and cohere can be used in similar contexts, but cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.

clinging to a capsized boat

When is it sensible to use stick instead of cohere?

In some situations, the words stick and cohere are roughly equivalent. However, stick implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together.

couldn't get the label to stick

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 cohere But seven years after its launch, Apple’s successes are cohering into a recognizable style. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026 After one of the drivers is fired for his union activity, the warehouse slowly coheres around voting to become part of the Teamsters Union. — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 Political scientists such as William Wohlforth and Victoria Tin-bor Hui have found that throughout history, dominant states sought to actively split the coalitions arrayed against them before those coalitions could cohere. — Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 For a party that’s struggled to cohere around a single economic message, this issue may point the way forward. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cohere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cohere
Verb
  • These unprecedented attacks in waters near NATO countries coincide with a growing wave of incidents attributed to Russian hybrid or gray-zone warfare tactics.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This shift coincided with a competitive Republican primary and an uncompetitive Democratic primary for governor in 2026, while both parties held competitive gubernatorial primaries in 2022.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The driver was cooperating with officers, said Moses, the police captain.
    — Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The time is right, but the weather might not cooperate as SpaceX has lined up a predawn launch Monday that could offer viewers another serving of space jellyfish.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Neither corresponds to any investigation, case, incident, or call for service.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But the date passed with no sign of an opening and without North Korea doing corresponding works on its side.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Kabila's new Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, or FRN, includes rebel groups formerly united under the Congo River Alliance, whose former leader Corneille Nangaa will serve as one of the new coalition's two vice presidents.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Kabila’s new Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, or FRN, includes rebel groups formerly united under the Congo River Alliance, whose former leader Corneille Nangaa will serve as one of the new coalition’s four vice presidents.
    — Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • While outlandish, most of the basic facts here conform to reporting about the real-life events.
    — Hayden Field, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Mass popularity usually demands conformity, and this show didn’t conform.
    — Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Artcraft is also working with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which began collaborating with Mockoski and Harris in 2025 on restorations from Paramount’s silent-era library.
    — Lise Pedersen, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Southern Company, Idaho National Laboratory and CORE POWER are collaborating on the project through the department’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Lee agrees to visit Mekka, which brings us to the episode’s title.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has agreed to halt Ukraine's monthslong campaign targeting Russian oil refineries that caused fuel shortages for Russians.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Holden’s ear for beats has steadily improved to fit his breakneck delivery since 2022, peaking with 2025’s Mulberry Silk Road, which was primarily laced by German producer 2000 Souls and executive-produced by Marciano.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Surely this fits McCutcheon’s criteria of adding names for doing significant things future generations should remember, since this donation reopened the monument after its public closure.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cohere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cohere. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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