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as in to benefit
to provide with something useful or desirable being independently wealthy certainly helped him during his years as a struggling young artist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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help

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word help distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of help are ameliorate, better, and improve. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

In what contexts can ameliorate take the place of help?

Although the words ameliorate and help have much in common, ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

How do improve and better relate to one another, in the sense of help?

Both improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care
immigrants hoping to better their lot

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of help
Verb
These capabilities not only enhance the user experience but also help brands stay top of mind for potential customers by ensuring seamless discoverability and security. Lisa Box, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 The award is presented in partnership with the non-profit organization Media For Texas, the state’s leading media advocacy whose mission is to help build out the entertainment industry across Texas. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 15 May 2025
Noun
There are several ways to get help filing your taxes. Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2023 That’s when content teams should get some help from AI tools in handling the details. John Hall, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for help
Recent Examples of Synonyms for help
Verb
  • At first, caring for her mom meant reminding her to turn off the stove after cooking and assisting with the laundry.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Indiana leads the postseason in 2-point shooting (56.5 percent), 3-point shooting (40.6 percent) and assisted buckets (29.7 per game).
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Press coverage at the time of Alexander’s death focused in part on her operation of Anger Room, a business in Dallas where customers could alleviate stress by smashing items in rooms made to look like a workplace or a living area.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
  • This development alleviates pressures on the semiconductor industry, which has been impacted by supply chain disruptions and uncertain business conditions.
    Tony Zhang, CNBC, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Sanders signed legislation last month that prevents drug middlemen from owning pharmacies in Arkansas.
    Lucas Dufalla, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2025
  • As usual, handling the environment and dimensions of Dodger Stadium will be key, from catchers preventing balls in the dirt from going to the backstop to outfielders making catches in the sun.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Different markets tend to have vastly different premium costs, and part-time or seasonal workers may benefit from distinct strategies.
    Jack Hooper, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Clearly the museum has benefited from Parton’s penchant to hold onto keepsakes.
    Nancy Kruh, People.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The program seeks to tackle the issue through nutrition, physical activity, cutting back on medications and improving food and drug quality and safety.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Remember The best way to improve any social skill is by practice.
    Seraphina Seow, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • In addition, urgent cases are being referred for emergency cash assistance.
    Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Kennealy was the head of the former Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, the agency that oversaw emergency shelter assistance shelters set up under the state’s right-to-shelter law.
    Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Pone hit a sacrifice fly to put Ole Miss up 5-4, Mackenzie Pickens hit and RBI single in the fifth for a two-run advantage and Brady sent a solo home run to left-center field in the seventh to set the final score.
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
  • In this context, the real advantage lies not simply in exporting more whisky but in embedding British spirits—Scotch and otherwise—within a broader consumer and distribution ecosystem.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • Oversee lodging operations, manage the staff and keep the guests happy.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • Andonovski and his staff brought a few tactical wrinkles for Friday’s match.
    Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Help.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/help. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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