as in romance
the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married
their dating had been going on for so long that she was starting to wonder if she'd ever take that trip down the aisle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in accompanying
to go on a social engagement with
I don't want to date him—I'd rather just be friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in courting
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage
we dated for two years before we got engaged
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of dating
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Using radiocarbon dating, experts estimate these geological time capsules date back to around 2,000 years ago.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026
The event is a spin-off of our popular dating and romance column of the same name.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Looking to the more recent past, 2002’s Water Horse marked the very early years of online dating, and all the stigma that came with it.
—Annabel Gat, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Over the last decade or so, Avgitidis said she's seen people burned out by online dating and seeking things a profile alone can't reveal.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Erika Ettin is the founder of A Little Nudge, a consulting company that helps people navigate the world of online dating, from first click to first date.
—Erika Ettin, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
What, exactly, is the impact of interracial dating?
—Dorothy Roberts, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
The pop superstar, who has been dating football tight end Travis Kelce since 2023, will definitely invite Gomez to the upcoming nuptials.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Be a part of the Love Is Blind Club, a subscriber-only newsletter covering the Netflix reality-TV dating show’s tenth season.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
While chatting with Palmer, a fellow child star, the conversation turned toward their experiences dating older men as teenagers.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Sex and the City — Set in ’90s to 2000s Manhattan, the show centers on Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda navigating dating and fashion.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
The pair met on the dating app Tinder and started out as friends.
—Katie Silver, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026
Tiff Baira, who created a social dating show, is working with Lifetime in the first such partnership.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026
Both teams wore their dark jerseys for the 266th meeting between the teams and UCLA improved to 150-116 in a series dating to 1928 when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Affordable dating in Austin isn’t about cutting corners.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Using radiocarbon dating, experts estimate these geological time capsules date back to around 2,000 years ago.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026
The event is a spin-off of our popular dating and romance column of the same name.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Looking to the more recent past, 2002’s Water Horse marked the very early years of online dating, and all the stigma that came with it.
—Annabel Gat, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Over the last decade or so, Avgitidis said she's seen people burned out by online dating and seeking things a profile alone can't reveal.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Erika Ettin is the founder of A Little Nudge, a consulting company that helps people navigate the world of online dating, from first click to first date.
—Erika Ettin, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
What, exactly, is the impact of interracial dating?
—Dorothy Roberts, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Rachel Recchia doesn't want to see Bryan Abasolo on the dating apps.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
The pop superstar, who has been dating football tight end Travis Kelce since 2023, will definitely invite Gomez to the upcoming nuptials.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Be a part of the Love Is Blind Club, a subscriber-only newsletter covering the Netflix reality-TV dating show’s tenth season.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
While chatting with Palmer, a fellow child star, the conversation turned toward their experiences dating older men as teenagers.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Sex and the City — Set in ’90s to 2000s Manhattan, the show centers on Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda navigating dating and fashion.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
The pair met on the dating app Tinder and started out as friends.
—Katie Silver, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026
Tiff Baira, who created a social dating show, is working with Lifetime in the first such partnership.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026
Both teams wore their dark jerseys for the 266th meeting between the teams and UCLA improved to 150-116 in a series dating to 1928 when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
-
While Kennedy gave her his number, a real romance did not begin until spring 1994.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
-
True love lies in the middle — neither one creates the circumstances for romance to bloom.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The slideshow accompanying the toolkit calls on activists to make sustained noise outside Hilton hotels to deprive ICE agents and all other guests of sleep.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Everyone who was accompanying us had been arrested in these recent protests.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When Paramount – a company in disarray and deep financial distress – started courting potential buyers in 2024, Ellison emerged as the white knight.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Zendaya’s Rue is still grappling with the ramifications of her opioid addiction, while Sydney Sweeney’s once sweet Cassie channels her suburban frustrations into courting attention online.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Investors appeared to prefer clarity over courtship.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Yet their courtship, which took place over the next six months, was intermittent.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But growing up in public housing, in a family that was getting by, and attending public schools that were failing, left its mark on me.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Providence’s playoff run is the end of her basketball career for Raines, who plans on attending Kentucky as a student.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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