Synonym Chooser

How is the word convene different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of convene are call, cite, convoke, muster, and summon. While all these words mean "to demand the presence of," convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

How are the words call and summon related as synonyms of convene?

Call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

When is it sensible to use cite instead of convene?

The words cite and convene can be used in similar contexts, but cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

Where would convoke be a reasonable alternative to convene?

The meanings of convoke and convene largely overlap; however, convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

When would muster be a good substitute for convene?

Although the words muster and convene have much in common, muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

In what contexts can summon take the place of convene?

In some situations, the words summon and convene are roughly equivalent. However, summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

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 convene Starmer arrived in London late afternoon local time on Thursday, to hold a summit led by the UK government’s COBRA committee – a cross-departmental group convened in situations of national emergency – PA Media news agency reported. Peter Wilkinson, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025 Those 26 players will convene Monday in Austin, face Ecuador in a friendly next Friday, then travel to Colorado to play Australia. Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 Cruz’s committee is also convening a separate hearing this month focusing on Biden-era censorship. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Under duress, the FCC convened an emergency meeting on the matter of Mae West. Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for convene
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convene
Verb
  • Khatami summoned me and heard my warning.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Brown, then 68, had been out of coaching for five years, working as an ESPN analyst, when UNC summoned him back in November 2018 to replace Larry Fedora.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Days after a gunman drove a truck into a Grand Blanc Township church and opened fire on worshippers, killing four people and wounding eight, hundreds gathered in Flint for a community safety briefing focused on crisis response and prevention in houses of worship.
    Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Britain’s first-past-the-post system makes any nationwide third party difficult to muster.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The Red Sox were eliminated from the postseason in Game 3 of their wild card series against the Yankees, a game where Boston mustered just five hits all night and got a runner as far as second base exactly once.
    Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But despite all that history, the church voted in June to stop meeting due to low numbers and the inability to keep up with building maintenance costs.
    Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The mayor's office said the quick timeline is necessary to meet state notification deadlines for the change to take effect.
    Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Scammers will call or text consumers claiming to be a legitimate institution, such as a bank or a government institution.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2025
  • In an interview with Ars Technica, Fiaschetti said the company plans to keep Arcs in orbit for extended periods, ready to descend when called upon.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Thousands converge every week on the streets of Tel Aviv to express their anger at the government and call for an end to the war.
    Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • But their stars blazed different paths for them both, converging again only by a twist of fate.
    Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All the while, the enchanted garden where Travis would get down on one knee was being assembled outside of his and Swift’s house.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The trailer shows Hemsworth’s Geralt assembling an army of adventurers to track down his former Witcher apprentice Ciri (Freya Allan).
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Only four days long, the mission stood out for demonstrating all of the skills needed to send astronauts to the moon, including rendezvousing and docking with an Agena target and the first successful spacewalks conducted by crewmate Buzz Aldrin.
    Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2025
  • On their way out of Belarus, the American convoy stopped on a village road to rendezvous with a van driven by the KGB.
    Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Convene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convene. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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