1
as in equitable
marked by justice, honesty, and freedom from bias
the basic belief that everyone is entitled to equal opportunity in employment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in identical
resembling another in every respect
as far as I can see, except for the high price, the store-brand jacket is equal to the jacket with the designer label
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suitable
having the required skills for an acceptable level of performance
looking for someone equal to the challenge of running a large state university
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in composed
free from emotional or mental agitation
he proceeded, in an equal tone, to recount the terrible events of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
a basketball player who truly has no equal in his sport
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to match
to produce something equal to (as in quality or value)
no one has equaled Shakespeare's plays
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to mean
to be the same in meaning or effect
being confined to home for a whole weekend would equal a death sentence in the minds of a lot of teens
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to parallel
to be the exact counterpart of
in the British system a public school equals an American prep school
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 equal
Lindsey Bever,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
But its comfort, confidence, and overall road smoothness equal many of its rivals’ personas.
—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
21 June 2026
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Lesch plays the savior’s anguished betrayer not as an intellectual equal who fiercely debates him and loses all patience with the movement.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Those are the shows that shaped decades of television output, for the most part emulated but never equaled.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for equal
Adjective
The best tended to use puns, literalization — turning an idiom into reality — and pedantic humor to delight and torment children in equal measures.
—
Lindsey Bever,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
But its comfort, confidence, and overall road smoothness equal many of its rivals’ personas.
—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
21 June 2026
Noun
Pernod’s offer, while billed as a merger of equals, gave rise to thorny issues that the two sides couldn’t square.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Lesch plays the savior’s anguished betrayer not as an intellectual equal who fiercely debates him and loses all patience with the movement.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
Anyone with real horse experience knows that a quiet, peaceful stable equals content, happy horses.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Those are the shows that shaped decades of television output, for the most part emulated but never equaled.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for equal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equal
Adjective
-
Some areas of the city have experienced historical underinvestment and a lack of equitable economic opportunities.
-
At the American Cancer Society, that means showing how science, advocacy and community translate into lives saved today and how donor support delivers equitable, real-world impact tomorrow.
Adjective
-
The lineup is essentially identical to that of the nation's game against Croatia on Tuesday.
-
An employee running fifty unchecked queries looks identical, on a dashboard, to one running five after working the problem first.
Adjective
-
Accessibility Unfortunately, the suites at Hotel Ottilia are not suitable for those with reduced mobility.
-
IsoHemp’s blocks, made out of hemp and lime binders, can be integrated into load-bearing structures, and are suitable for both interior and exterior walls.
Adjective
-
After opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, the United States followed it with a composed 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle.
-
While uniform cubes are suited for an elegant, composed presentation, torn croutons are a humble upgrade for nearly everything else where a little contrast is welcome.
Noun
-
But for foods that are more crumbly and less stain-y, Miss Manners finds leather (or a stain-resistant slippery equivalent) a helpful material for getting things to slide right to the floor.
-
With a footprint equivalent to the largest pyramids of ancient Egypt, Cahokia’s colossal Monks Mound is the largest pre-Columbian structure north of central Mexico.
Verb
-
After deciding on the right type of pet, start the adoption process and lean on shelter staff to help match you with an animal that fits your lifestyle.
-
Tim Edwards, Cal Fire Local 2881 president, says that the current salary calculation formula, which matches firefighter pay with other state workers salaries, does not account for inflation or the amount of overtime state firefighters are working.
Verb
-
But so have yields for other countries’ bonds as the world grapples with what the US-Israeli war with Iran means for inflation.
-
They are generally paid minimum wage, and any infraction or exam failure can mean an immediate withdrawal of one’s conditional employment offer, the former trainees interviewed said.
Verb
-
The motors stay fixed relative to the wing surface, and the whole wing rotates from a position perpendicular to the ground for takeoff to parallel for cruise.
-
The Great Dying is also the extinction event that most closely parallels Earth’s current environmental crisis.
Cite this Entry
“Equal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equal. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
