merge

verb \ ˈmərj \

Definition of merge

merged; merging

transitive verb

1 archaic :to plunge or engulf in something :immerse

2 :to cause to combine, unite, or coalesce (see coalesce 2)

merged the two companies

3 :to blend gradually by stages that blur distinctions

individuality and uniqueness are merged and blurred
—Norman Kelman

intransitive verb

1 :to become combined into one

The two banks merged.

2 :to blend or come together without abrupt change

merging traffic

—

mergence

play \ˈmər-jən(t)s\ noun

See merge defined for English-language learners

See merge defined for kids

Examples of merge in a Sentence

To save the business, the owners decided to merge it with one of their competitors.
The two banks merged to form one large institution.
Many small companies have been forced to merge.
Three lanes of traffic all merge at this point.
Day slowly merged into night.
Along the coast the mountains gradually merge with the shore.
She merged into the crowd and disappeared.

Recent Examples of merge from the Web

The women of Fifth Harmony seem to be taking the Beyoncé approach, but is the world ready for a group of all-female pop stars to merge accessible music and politics?

— anne t. donahue, Cosmopolitan, "5 Reasons to Worry Fifth Harmony Will Be the Group’s Last Album," 25 Aug. 2017
In 1970, Mrs. Snee was transferred to Wakefield Elementary School, and when Wakefield and Homestead merged as one school, Mrs. Snee became librarian for both buildings.

— The Aegis, "Snees inducted into Harford Educator Hall of Fame," 11 Aug. 2017
Since Mercy and McAuley are merging next year, this is the last season for our team being just Mercy.

— adam turer, Cincinnati.com, "Top girls golf teams face a sense of urgency in 2017," 4 Aug. 2017
Its parent company, Pepco Holdings, merged with Exelon in 2016.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Delmarva Power seeks nearly 2 percent base rate increase for Maryland customers," 18 July 2017
Last year, Assurex Health merged with Myriad Genetics Inc. of Salt Lake City, a leading manufacturer of genetic tests.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "Gina Drosos leaving front office of Assurex Health of Mason," 17 July 2017
This month the federal police merged its dedicated Lava Jato task force into a broader anti-corruption unit.

— The Economist, "BelloThe conviction of Lula and the future of Brazil’s political purge," 15 July 2017
Drivers had been merging into the right lane, slowing down and lining up about a mile from a work zone that would close the left lane.

— shane sanderson ssanderson@kcstar.com ellen cagle and ian cummings, kansascity, "Highway Patrol: Truck driver in wreck that killed 5 was driving too fast, not paying attention," 14 July 2017
Rather, Great Bahama Bank had been composed of a number of smaller platforms, which had over millions of years merged together.

— howard cohen, miamiherald, "UM geologist Robert Ginsburg, who plumbed the deep to reveal its secrets, dies at 92," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'merge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of merge

Latin mergere; akin to Sanskrit majjati he dives

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1636

See Words from the same year

merge Synonyms

Synonyms

amalgamate, combine, comingle, commingle, commix, composite, concrete, conflate, fuse, homogenize, immingle, immix, incorporate, integrate, interfuse, intermingle, intermix, meld, blend, mingle, mix

Antonyms

break down, break up, separate, unmix

Related Words

add, admix, beat (in), cut in, fold, stir, toss; coalesce, compound, emulsify; conjoin, join, knit, link, unite; intertwine, interweave, weave

Near Antonyms

cleave, disjoin, disunite, divide, divorce, part, rupture, sever, sunder; disperse, dissolve, scatter; detach, disengage, split

Synonym Discussion of merge

mix, mingle, commingle, blend, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, fuse mean to combine into a more or less uniform whole. mix may or may not imply loss of each element's identity.

- mix the salad greens
- mix a drink

mingle usually suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active.

- fear mingled with anticipation in my mind

commingle implies a closer or more thorough mingling.

- a sense of duty commingled with a fierce pride drove her

blend implies that the elements as such disappear in the resulting mixture.

- blended several teas to create a balanced flavor

merge suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole.

- in his mind reality and fantasy merged

coalesce implies an affinity in the merging elements and usually a resulting organic unity.

- telling details that coalesce into a striking portrait

amalgamate implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities.

- refugees who were readily amalgamated into the community

fuse stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product.

- a building in which modernism and classicism are fused

MERGE Defined for English Language Learners

merge

verb

Definition of merge for English Language Learners

: to cause (two or more things, such as two companies) to come together and become one thing : to join or unite (one thing) with another
: to become joined or united
: to change into or become part of something else in a very gradual way