1
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

2
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5
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 Chock full of fresh vegetables and herbs, but hearty enough to satisfy your appetite, this meal is a winning choice for any hot summer night. Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 28 June 2025 The Kings began the first round without a pick in the draft after conveying the No. 13 pick to the Atlanta Hawks to satisfy the Kevin Huerter trade from the summer of 2022. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025 To be eligible for the program, units must also satisfy HUD’s physical quality standards. Alex Schwartz, The Conversation, 26 June 2025 Hungry customers have some new summertime treats to satisfy their cravings. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for satisfy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for satisfy
Verb
  • DeSantis stressed the facility is both temporary and necessary to alleviate burdens on the state’s law enforcement agencies and jails, which have seen an influx in migrants amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 1 July 2025
  • To alleviate lawmakers who said the change risked the collapse of many rural hospitals, the Senate ultimately included a new $50 billion fund to support rural hospitals.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • While this action may convince some that China is a paper tiger, for others, especially Iran’s Arab rivals, it is seen as a sign of prudence.
    Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Kubler convinced Rucker’s wife to take out a $14 million life insurance policy to generate fees and commission that Kubler paid to himself as the placing agent, according to the lawsuit.
    Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., first sent a letter to Schill to testify in April, accusing Northwestern of failing to fulfill its commitment to protect Jewish students.
    Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
  • Many hotels in the city are required to have clean-air transportation as part of their development agreement, which ATN fulfills.
    Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Then the governor, seemingly trying to please the president, vetoed laws that assist Floridians in survival mode.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 July 2025
  • Two tiebreaking runs scored, a fact that pleased Altuve far more than another milestone in a career full of them.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • Despite some backsliding, the EU still holds to its goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, by cutting greenhouse gases and compensating for any remaining emissions.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
  • In heavy rain, allow an additional two seconds of distance to compensate for reduced traction and braking effectiveness.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • While a handful of commercial pieces have been released in recent seasons to slake the thirst of fans exclusively on the brand’s website, fall 2025 marks the formal return of a rtw offer.
    Lily Templeton, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As the relationship between the young couple became more serious, Sarah’s parents tried to show him the best of Kansas City in the hopes that Yaron — who grew up in Germany and Israel — might be persuaded to stay in the US.
    Wolf Blitzer, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
  • Even with that new path looming, though, his father, Ignacio, persuaded him to attend one last tryout in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo that would be scouted by all 30 MLB teams.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The combination of microservices with edge computing CDNs and micro frontends creates a robust application development framework that enables fast, resilient and scalable applications that delight users while driving business expansion.
    Raju Dandigam, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • The sequel has plenty of the same horror-comedy elements that delighted audiences a couple years ago, but there’s also a major action upgrade that resembles the paths that Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day took from their predecessors.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Satisfy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/satisfy. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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