enlisted; enlisting; enlists
1
a
: to secure the support and aid of : employ in advancing an interest
enlist all the available resources
enlisted our help
b
: to win over : attract
trying to enlist my sympathies
2
: to engage (a person) for duty in the armed forces
1
: to enroll oneself in the armed forces
will enlist for three years
2
: to participate heartily (as in a cause, drive, or crusade)
Synonyms
Examples of enlist in a Sentence
They're enlisting volunteers for an experiment.
We enlisted all available resources.
I enlisted the help of our neighbors.
We enlisted the services of a professional.
They enlisted several new recruits.
After graduating, I enlisted in the navy.
He enlisted in the cause of world peace.
Recent Examples on the Web
The musicians proposed enlisting and becoming the on-base entertainment at Kentucky’s Fort Campbell for the 101st Airborne, the air-assault division of the Army nicknamed the Screaming Eagles that was headquartered there.
—
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2024
This all comes to a head when Astrid gets herself into something of a deadly predicament and Lydia herself is forced to say Beetlejuice's name three times to enlist his help with rescuing Astrid from the Afterlife.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 6 Sep. 2024
Armstrong and Brittain were enlisted after the musicians joined Linkin Park in the studio during a series of informal sessions.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024
In addition to giving a rundown of the space, Jana showed off a little bit of the demo process — and enlisted the help of her dad Jim Bob Duggar and her sisters.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlist 
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2024
This all comes to a head when Astrid gets herself into something of a deadly predicament and Lydia herself is forced to say Beetlejuice's name three times to enlist his help with rescuing Astrid from the Afterlife.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 6 Sep. 2024
Armstrong and Brittain were enlisted after the musicians joined Linkin Park in the studio during a series of informal sessions.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024
In addition to giving a rundown of the space, Jana showed off a little bit of the demo process — and enlisted the help of her dad Jim Bob Duggar and her sisters.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enlist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enlist
Cite this Entry
“Enlist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlist. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enlist
verb
en·list
in-ˈlist 
1
a
: to enroll for military or naval service
especially
: to join one of the armed services voluntarily
b
: to participate heartily (as in a cause or drive)
2
: to obtain the help or support of
enlisted their friends in the campaign
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