Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of intercede are interfere, interpose, intervene, and mediate. While all these words mean "to come or go between," intercede implies acting for an offender in begging mercy or forgiveness.

interceded on our behalf

When could interfere be used to replace intercede?

While the synonyms interfere and intercede are close in meaning, interfere implies hindering.

noise interfered with my concentration

When is it sensible to use interpose instead of intercede?

While in some cases nearly identical to intercede, interpose often implies no more than this.

interposed herself between him and the door

When would intervene be a good substitute for intercede?

The meanings of intervene and intercede largely overlap; however, intervene may imply an occurring in space or time between two things or a stepping in to stop a conflict.

quarreled until the manager intervened

When can mediate be used instead of intercede?

The words mediate and intercede are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mediate implies intervening between hostile factions.

mediated between the parties

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 intercede Despite Son King’s being openly ridiculed, the coaches did not intercede to help him, the papers say. Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025 At best, the rulers who met in Doha on Monday act as supplicants, relying on the whims of a unpredictable US president to intercede with Israel’s leader. Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025 The woman, who doctors said had a low chance of survival, was said to have healed miraculously after praying for Acutis to intercede, according to Vatican News. Lauren Costantino september 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025 After the news surfaced, Erika Hilton, a trans Brazilian politician, urged the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intercede on behalf of Barbosa, fearing for her safety and calling the arrest suspicious and violent, according to a translation. Mikelle Street, Them., 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for intercede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intercede
Verb
  • Extreme weather is battering installations from Guam to North Carolina and fueling instability in regions overseas where American forces may be called to intervene.
    Ames Alexander, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Urbana always had a conservative bent, but its politics have become a defining feature in the intervening years.
    Grace Byron, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Here the president is running roughshod over state and local governments that are not interfering in the federal government’s work.
    Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Shmi, who died for nothing, the cowardly Jedi refusing to free her, refusing to interfere.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Intercede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intercede. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on intercede

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