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as in to alleviate
to put a complete end to (a physical need or desire) the players satisfied their hunger after the game with a big pasta dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to compensate
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the owners of the restaurant were generously satisfied for any business lost during the filming

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word satisfy distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of satisfy are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, and repay. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

When would compensate be a good substitute for satisfy?

The words compensate and satisfy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When could indemnify be used to replace satisfy?

The synonyms indemnify and satisfy are sometimes interchangeable, but indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When is it sensible to use pay instead of satisfy?

Although the words pay and satisfy have much in common, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

Where would recompense be a reasonable alternative to satisfy?

While in some cases nearly identical to satisfy, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When is reimburse a more appropriate choice than satisfy?

While the synonyms reimburse and satisfy are close in meaning, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When can remunerate be used instead of satisfy?

The words remunerate and satisfy can be used in similar contexts, but remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When might repay be a better fit than satisfy?

The meanings of repay and satisfy largely overlap; however, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

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 satisfy In addition to improved performance, it is expected to get dual front cameras to satisfy both portrait and landscape use cases. PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025 The main hurdle that European CLO managers face is the ability to construct a pool of European private credit loans with enough diversity to satisfy the requirements of rating agencies. Hugh Leask, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 The social media post didn't specify which trim was added to the Tennessee Highway Patrol's fleet, but every Mustang can produce enough giddyup to satisfy the needs of troopers. Charles Singh, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 Some readers just want to pick up bagels and whip up something satisfying and filling. Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for satisfy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for satisfy
Verb
  • Research shows that people who acknowledge or apologize for rejection risk activating the rejectee’s ire, rather than alleviating hurt feelings.
    Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
  • All the while, opportunities for renewable energy development — which could quickly alleviate some of the pain from electric bills and electricity demand from new industry — are constricting across the state.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That’s especially true in the Chiefs’ case, since fans are convinced this is another example of the NFL actively helping Kansas City.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
  • In the end, Kate convinces the prime minister to bury both the sub and the Poseidon in concrete on the ocean floor, instead of it getting taken away.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Carney added that Ottawa expects Stellantis to fulfill its commitment to Brampton workers.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Dodgers’ desire to ride their starting pitching in October and minimize the exposure of their Achilles’ heel (the bullpen) is being fulfilled.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Your favorite party dip meets stovetop chicken and rice in this creamy, cheesy dish that will please the whole family.
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Gone is the sense that Maggie is desperate to please Alma; so too is Alma’s interest in supporting Maggie.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • By contrast, in states like Nevada, where more than 1,000 nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s and '60s exposed civilians to radiation, individuals have been compensated with up to $100,000.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Setup ease comes courtesy of autofocus, keystone correction, fit-to-screen and a tool that can compensate for uneven surfaces.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But in the meantime, the K-pop superstar boy band’s diehards can slake their thirst by watching member V smoke the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game on Monday (Aug. 25).
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Moreover, there is no reason to assume that such concessions would slake Chinese and Russian ambitions: consider, for example, what Beijing’s massive investments in Latin America and attempts to corrupt the Canadian political system suggest about Chinese intentions.
    KORI SCHAKE, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Some experts, meanwhile, say that instead of demanding that insurers sell their stake in fossil fuel companies, advocates and policymakers should focus on modernizing regulations to persuade insurers to expand coverage in fire-prone areas.
    Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
  • For its part, Ukraine is betting on long-range strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure to persuade the Kremlin to accept negotiations.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cornelia joined the pair towards the end of their dance, which delighted judge Kym, who praised the way the trio kicked off the night.
    Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Satisfy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/satisfy. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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