merge

verb \ ˈmərj \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

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

At the time of the payments, AT&T was trying to merge with Time Warner, a deal the president had disparaged, and Korea Aerospace was seeking a multibillion-dollar defense contract.

— adam feuerstein, STAT, "Untangling Trump’s lawyer’s ties to Novartis: Here are 6 unanswered questions," 9 May 2018
Building on the human-robo hybrid model, Financial Engines will be merged with Edelman Financial Services, a financial planning and investment management firm that is majority-owned by Hellman & Friedman.

— kathleen pender, San Francisco Chronicle, "Financial Engines, robo-advice pioneer, sold for $3 billion," 30 Apr. 2018
In 2014, Sprint and T-Mobile dropped plans to merge in the face of opposition from the Obama administration.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Sprint and T-Mobile Announce Megamerger," 29 Apr. 2018
Since city and county police departments merged in 2003, only one officer before Rodman — Officer Peter Grignon in 2005 — had been killed in the line of duty.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Man accused in LMPD officer Nick Rodman's death pleads guilty on charges including murder," 27 Apr. 2018
That department was merged with the Office of Economic Development earlier this year to create the Office of Community and Economic Development, headed by Parrish.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Harford honors churches, volunteers for winter rotating homeless shelters," 25 Apr. 2018
The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.

— azcentral, "AZ Memo: Arizona ranks No. 5 for economic outlook; Hottest city in Arizona, and How Phoenix chefs are conquering 'Chopped'," 23 Apr. 2018
Western Connecticut Health Network plans to merge next year with a hospital system based in New York’s Hudson Valley to create a new health system across the region, the networks said Wednesday.

— rebecca lurye, courant.com, "Western Connecticut Health To Merge With Hudson Valley Hospital System," 28 Mar. 2018
Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keurig Green Mountain plan to merge in a soda-coffee-juice deal that creates a beverage giant with iconic consumer brands and an estimated $11 billion in annual revenues.

— zlati meyer, USA TODAY, "Dr Pepper Snapple, Keurig Green Mountain to combine to create coffee, soda giant," 29 Jan. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

merge Synonyms

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