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screen 1 of 2

noun

ˈskrēn How to pronounce screen (audio)
Definition of screennext
1
as in film
the art or business of making a movie he was a star of both stage and screen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in defense
means or method of defending the target will be difficult to reach as it is behind a screen of anti-aircraft batteries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

screen

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from attack helicopters were called in to help screen the troops from further attacks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hide
to keep secret or shut off from view bushes screened the swimming pool from passersby on the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to filter
to pass through a filter you should screen the cooking oil to remove impurities

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to cover
to place a protective layer over screened his eyes with his hand to block the sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word screen distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of screen are bury, conceal, hide, and secrete. While all these words mean "to withhold or withdraw from sight," screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

When would bury be a good substitute for screen?

The synonyms bury and screen are sometimes interchangeable, but bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

When might conceal be a better fit than screen?

The words conceal and screen can be used in similar contexts, but conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

When could hide be used to replace screen?

The meanings of hide and screen largely overlap; however, hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet
a house hidden in the woods

Where would secrete be a reasonable alternative to screen?

While in some cases nearly identical to screen, secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

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 screen
Noun
The iPhone 18 series continues to sport an ultra-slim display frame, allowing for more screen real estate. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 More people are looking beyond the screen There is some real data behind this shift. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
The less obvious side is candidates disappearing on purpose, in ways screening was never designed to notice. — Houman Akhavan, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Two-thirds of recruiters plan to up their use of AI for pre-screening interviews this year, according to a January LinkedIn survey of over 6,500 HR professionals. — Sarah Jackson juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for screen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screen
  1. film
  2. defense
  3. protect
  4. hide
  5. filter
  6. cover
  7. movie
  8. wall
Noun
  • It was overshadowed completely by the film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by my countryman Norman Jewison and released a few months after our film, to big crowds and grosses.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Hollywood’s leading studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), intended the film to be an important one; it had been allocated one of the largest budgets in cinematic history, two million dollars.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of film
Noun
  • The Pentagon would be relying on authorities provided by the Defense Production Act and annual defense legislation from 2017, Paoletta continued, as well as Article II of the Constitution.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Metze had taught at Texas Tech for nearly two decades and served as the director of the criminal-defense clinic.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of defense
Verb
  • Switzerland, which has long remained neutral in international military conflicts, also moved to adopt a security policy on Friday that would protect itself from a future Russian attack.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The lawsuit also sought to block roving patrols making stops and arrests based solely on race, language and occupation, and to protect access to counsel rights for people in detention.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of protect
Verb
  • Much of the wildlife in Greenland is adept at hiding, too, given the volume of hunting by the local population who have a long tradition of subsistence hunting and fishing.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Players often downplay symptoms to stay on the field—and many signs of brain trauma, such as headaches, memory problems and fatigue, are easy to hide.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • Putting medications down a sink or toilet deposits them directly into wastewater, where they will likely not be filtered out.
    — Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • To filter a movie about the origins of a zombie/monster epidemic through the point of view of a hapless outsider is an amusing, if rather one-note, concept.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of filter
Verb
  • Under the version that’s been discussed, the federal credit could be stacked on top of state credits, and in some states taxpayers would end up covering close to half the budget of a movie made by Netflix, Apple, or Amazon.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Just be aware that the ship covers a lot of ground on some of these routes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of cover
Noun
  • But this element does pop up in your movies, the idea that New York exists in nature.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Then, further research changed that view, replacing it with the active, bird-like animal shown in the movie Jurassic Park.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of movie
Noun
  • Post-ballet, Sorbara will walk ten blocks south of Lincoln Center for a borscht martini at Russian Samovar, where, fittingly, the walls are adorned with pictures of Baryshnikov.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In laboratory settings, people cooperate more when a picture of a pair of eyes is placed on the wall.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of wall

Phrases Containing screen

Browse Nearby Words

screeching
screen
screened
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Cite this Entry

“Screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screen. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on screen

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about screen

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