phase

1 of 2

noun

ˈfāz

Synonyms of phase next

: a particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes

phases of the moon

: a distinguishable part in a course, development, or cycle

the early phases of her career

: an aspect or part (as of a problem) under consideration

: the point or stage in a period of uniform circular motion, harmonic motion, or the periodic changes of any magnitude varying according to a simple harmonic law to which the rotation, oscillation, or variation has advanced from its standard position or assumed instant of starting

: a homogeneous, physically distinct, and mechanically separable portion of matter present in a nonhomogeneous physicochemical system

: an individual or subgroup distinguishably different in appearance or behavior from the norm of the group to which it belongs

also : the distinguishing peculiarity

phasic

ˈfā-zik

adjective

phase

2 of 2

verb

phased; phasing

transitive verb

: to adjust so as to be in a synchronized condition

: to conduct or carry out by planned phases

: to introduce in stages

—usually used with in

phase in new models

Phrases

in phase

: in a synchronized or correlated manner

out of phase

: in an unsynchronized manner : not in correlation

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Phase and Faze

Phase and faze are homophones (words pronounced alike but different in meaning, derivation, or spelling) that may easily be confused. Despite the similarity in pronunciation, these words bear little semantic resemblance to one another.

Although phase can function as a verb – it is found especially in combinations such as phase out, phase in, and phase into, meaning “to end, begin, etc. in phases” – the word is most commonly encountered as a noun, in which it typically carries a meaning related to steps in a process, cycles, or stages of development (as in “phases of the moon”).

Faze is generally used only as a verb, and means “to daunt or disconcert.” It often appears in negative expressions such as “it didn’t faze her a bit” or “nothing fazes him.”

Example Sentences

Noun The project will be done in three phases. He's in the final phase of treatment now. The building project marks a new phase in the town's development. He has been throwing tantrums a lot, but the doctor says it's just a phase. a calendar based on the phases of the moon

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Testing should be incorporated into each phase of the development process to detect and address bugs and issues at the earliest possible stage. —

Valentin Buzea, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023 Generally the sores are painless, but a secondary phase of infection causes fever, swollen lymph nodes, skin rash and wart-like genital lesions, according to the CDC. —

Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2023 HoCo By Design, a long-range, visionary plan to shape development and conservation in Howard County through 2040, has entered its next phase following unanimous approval March 9 by the Howard County Planning Board. —

Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 21 Mar. 2023 The team believes that JOMO might be more of a momentary phase of needing to disconnect instead of a constant state of feelings. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2023 Cooks has never had the chance to reach unrestricted free agency, a phase most players desire. —

Calvin Watkins, Dallas News, 20 Mar. 2023 Now, as Reynolds embarks on a new phase of her career as CEO of the Perception Institute, which designs strategies for reducing bias and discrimination across sectors, she's been named the Kentucky honoree for USA TODAY's Women of the Year. —

courier-journal.com, 19 Mar. 2023 There will be a phase two coming with additional market launches. —

Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2023 Ma explained that web1 was a phase where people could search for and read content, web2 is where companies were able to publish content and web3 is all about ownership. —

Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023

Verb

Luckily, Blake's M.O. for playing games behind the scenes didn't phase Carly. —

Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 13 Mar. 2023 In response, the Wu administration agreed to delay the new fees and phase them in over time. —

Catherine Carlock, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Feb. 2023 Germany in October extended the life span of nuclear plants after once vowing to phase them out. —

Rebecca Tan And Jhesset O. Enano, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Jan. 2023 Several City Council members are pushing to phase them out, citing concerns for the horses’ well-being and environmental problems of idling cars and slowed traffic. —

Megan Rodriguez, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Dec. 2022 In Maine, where the chemicals were detected in well water at hundreds of times the federal health advisory level, legislators passed a law in 2021 requiring manufacturers to report their use of the chemicals and to phase them out by 2030. —

From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2022 The bill’s topline price is expected to shrink significantly from the $3.5 trillion initially floated, forcing Democrats to slash certain programs or phase them out more quickly. —

Joe Walsh, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021 Polyclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 moves to phase 3 trial at UT Southwestern Parkland Health & Hospital System had 187 COVID-19 hospitalizations, the same number as the day before. —

Dallas News, 6 Jan. 2022 On June 22, when the city moved to phase three, bars were allowed to open at 50 percent capacity. —

Vivian Jones, Washington Examiner, 14 Sep. 2020 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin phasis, from Greek, appearance of a star, phase of the moon, from phainein to show (middle voice, to appear) — more at fancy

First Known Use

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of phase was in 1647

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Phase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phase. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

phase

1 of 2 noun

ˈfāz

: a particular appearance or state in a repeating series of changes

phases of the moon

: a step or part in a series of events or actions : stage

: a particular part or feature (as of an activity, situation, or a subject being considered) : aspect

: a physically different portion or kind of matter present in a mixed system

the three phases ice, water, and steam

phase

2 of 2 verb

phased; phasing

: to do in steps according to a plan

: to introduce in stages

—usually used with in

phase in new models

Medical Definition

phase

noun

ˈfāz

: a particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes

: a distinguishable part in a course, development, or cycle

the early phases of a disease

: a point or stage in the period of a periodic motion or process (as a light wave or a vibration) in relation to an arbitrary reference or starting point in the period

: a homogeneous, physically distinct, and mechanically separable portion of matter present in a nonhomogeneous physicochemical system

especially : one of the fundamental states of matter usually considered to include the solid, liquid, and gaseous forms

: an individual or subgroup distinguishably different in appearance or behavior from the norm of the group to which it belongs

also : the distinguishing peculiarity