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 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 Does the arbitrary nature of our daily existence cohere into something resembling a story? — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 Still, somehow, the film does eventually cohere into a half-decent entertainment, as Humdinger’s greed leads to an environmental disaster that threatens to destroy dogs and dinos alike. — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cohere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cohere
Verb
  • The episode coincided with the NFT market’s colonization of cultural assets and collectibles and the rise of its accompanying online culture.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The pop-up was up for three days to coincide with United Nations general assembly meeting, which saw the convergence of world leaders, dignitaries and CEOs on the city.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Paradoxically, status-seeking can also promote equality, when cooperating to gain status diffuses status throughout the community.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic ties with Israel, but the countries have long cooperated on security and intelligence matters through alternative channels.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • One signal indicated a general emergency, while another corresponded to unlawful interference or a hijacking situation.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For now, there are signs that portions of the information supplied by the hackers correspond to real people.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Tkachuk bothers have united in Florida, which could give the league a marketing opportunity that breaks through to more casual sports fans who don’t follow the NHL on a regular basis.
    — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There is no expectation that Congress will take any action on the issue ahead of November’s midterms, and slim odds that lawmakers will unite behind legislation before the end of the year.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Researchers fabricated the devices on 4-inch wafers as well as flexible substrates, potentially making the architecture suitable for electronics that need to conform to non-flat surfaces.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What’s Happening Photobiomodulation, better known as red light therapy, has moved out of dermatology clinics and into body-conforming consumer wearables like masks, belts, wraps and pods.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Food and drink It only made sense for Hotel 28 Myeongdong to collaborate with a restaurant as proudly Korean as its founder.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Roberts collaborated with renowned flute player Katisse Buckingham, who played jazz flute and Tim Loo, who assembled a group of musicians.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • While a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to turn over their weapons, powerful groups close to Iran rejected the prospect or set conditions for disarming that the government would be unlikely to meet.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • After the Black Lives Matter marches of 2020, the NYPD agreed to prohibit the technique as part of a federal class action settlement.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That’s because Bogart does not wear his roles like an off-the-rack suit, but tailors them to fit.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Ford has a lot of vision systems using AI in the background, for instance, to help make decisions on things like dimensional control of a panel or whether doors fit correctly or not.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cohere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cohere. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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