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)
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
And then there was Belew, enlisted to help bring Fripp’s new guitar sound to life, picking together in intricate rhythmic patterns, like the trick where someone lays their hand on the table and stabs a knife between their fingers at increasingly rapid speeds.
—
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Child care providers frequently make personal sacrifices to run their businesses, often putting in long days, enlisting family members to work unpaid or forgoing adequate pay and benefits, such as time off for themselves.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Use Your Other Senses Along with using your eyes to assess vintage jewelry while thrifting, enlist your other senses.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 10 Jan. 2026
Fare Thee Well concerts celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary in 2015, Weir enlisted one of the gig’s guests, John Mayer, to join him, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and other Dead associates in the new offshoot Dead & Company.
—Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enlist
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Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Child care providers frequently make personal sacrifices to run their businesses, often putting in long days, enlisting family members to work unpaid or forgoing adequate pay and benefits, such as time off for themselves.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Use Your Other Senses Along with using your eyes to assess vintage jewelry while thrifting, enlist your other senses.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 10 Jan. 2026
Fare Thee Well concerts celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary in 2015, Weir enlisted one of the gig’s guests, John Mayer, to join him, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and other Dead associates in the new offshoot Dead & Company.
—Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enlist
Cite this Entry
“Enlist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlist. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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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