as in silent
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
a reserved and shy person who was wrongly thought to be stuck-up until someone finally got into a conversation with her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in retained
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I'm reserving the right to work by myself if you don't do your share of the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dedicated
to keep or intend for a special purpose
we must reserve this cup for ceremonial use only
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of reserved
Eric Deggans, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Eddie’s brashness contrasted with Gus’s more reserved nature, but their differences amused one another.
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Maiava, who’s typically reserved, shouldered some of the blame after completing just 52% of his passes and throwing a season-high two interceptions.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reserved
Adjective
Raised in Iowa and Nebraska, Carson built his career as a host of variety and game shows with an approachable ease, developing a reserved charisma that helped fuel the rise of his show as a gigantically influential program with a massive audience.
—Eric Deggans, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Eddie’s brashness contrasted with Gus’s more reserved nature, but their differences amused one another.
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Mobley is one of only three players in the league who will wear the new Gold NBA Logoman patch, an honor reserved for last season’s Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year.
—Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Maiava, who’s typically reserved, shouldered some of the blame after completing just 52% of his passes and throwing a season-high two interceptions.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reserved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reserved
Adjective
-
That conversational access to the fine print not only saves keystrokes, but also reduces miscommunication, which is often the silent culprit behind change-order disputes and blown budgets.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
-
And the whole class is just silent.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He was substituted for the third time in the last six league games at Wolverhampton, Hurzeler avoiding the risk of a red card after the 21-year-old Cameroon international had been booked in the first half for a rash tackle.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
On April 9, authorities took a sample of DNA from Charon when he was booked into the Bexar County jail on charges of felony criminal mischief.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Wirtz simply has to be retained after contributing two assists.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
It's been determined that coffee's bioactive properties are retained when caffeine is removed from the beans to make decaffeinated coffee.—
Katie Wilkinson,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the half-century that followed, Bardot dedicated herself to animal rights through her Brigette Bardot Foundation.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The search for Egypt’s last queen For nearly 20 years, Martínez has dedicated her work to locating Cleopatra’s burial site, a mystery that has eluded archaeologists for centuries.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In DaCosta’s hands, Ibsen’s emotionally extreme but tonally restrained play becomes a spectacular, flamboyant melodrama, with physical action as intense as the characters’ inner worlds.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That would include gun-violence restraining orders and domestic violence protective orders, which are among several kinds of orders that compel a restrained person to surrender firearms.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Yes, if your lease states that a fine will be charged for windows that are kept open during the winter.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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Potted hardy hibiscus can be overwintered indoors and kept at 55ºF with three hours of direct full sunlight a day.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Allison Williams makes Morgan spiky and devoted, more to her daughter than to herself — which is actually her problem.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
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Trump has devoted that attention to ending the war between Israel and Hamas.—
Barry Strauss,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And, in one of the dumbest and most obviously racist postr taken by a presidential candidate, at some point Republicans became fixated on the idea that Haitian migrants were stealing pets for food in the Midwest.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
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After Johnson gave his answer to that resolutely dumb question, several other luminaries took a whack at the zeitgeist piñata.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reserved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserved. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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