rear 1 of 3

adjective

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
Definition of rearnext
as in back
being at or in the part of something opposite the front part go to the back of the building and look out the rear window and you'll see the eagle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rear

2 of 3

noun

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
1
as in tail
a behind part or surface the rear of the car was sleekly designed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in seat
the part of the body upon which someone sits fell off her skates onto her rear

Synonyms & Similar Words

rear

3 of 3

verb

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
1
as in to raise
to bring to maturity through care and education watched a documentary on how wolves rear their young

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to erect
to fix in an upright position it took all the men in the village to rear the frame for the barn, pulling hard at the ropes until all the sides were standing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to build
to form by putting together parts or materials the city has plans for rearing a new convention center over the next two years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care an amateur who rears rare orchids in a professional-grade greenhouse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rear contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rear are boost, elevate, heave, hoist, lift, and raise. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

When could boost be used to replace rear?

While the synonyms boost and rear are close in meaning, boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

How does the word elevate relate to other synonyms for rear?

Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

In what contexts can heave take the place of rear?

Although the words heave and rear have much in common, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When can hoist be used instead of rear?

While in some cases nearly identical to rear, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

When might lift be a better fit than rear?

The words lift and rear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

When is raise a more appropriate choice than rear?

The words raise and rear can be used in similar contexts, but raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

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 rear
Adjective
Two suspects were captured on surveillance video breaking a rear window to enter the pharmacy. —Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 12 Aug. 2025 The Zip has a rear propeller to move it fore and aft and side thrusters. —Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Over 800 tiny light louvers spread across the grille and headlight bar at the front and the taillights at the rear, where a microscopic spoiler matches a chrome lower diffuser. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025 To complement the new car's compact size, the 2026 Pirelli tires will be 25 and 30 millimeters thinner at the front and rear. —Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Most filles gave birth to at least five children, many of them more, and reared them largely alone, as their husbands were often away. —Ann Foster, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2025 Their offense slumped, bullpen collapsed and defense reared its ugly head over a miserable 10-14 record in July, just their second losing month in seven years (the last, either ironically or informatively, was last July). —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rear
  1. back
  2. seat
  3. raise
  4. erect
  5. build
  6. grow
  7. tail
  8. foster
Adjective
  • Herbert went back to Lambert-Smith two plays later on a jump ball in the back right corner of the end zone.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Gwynn, who sustained a back injury during a season 7 workout that required physical therapy, also reached out to producers to no avail.
    — Nicole Briese, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Definition of back
Noun
  • Hundreds of fans parked in the seats of Lubbers Stadium for a night of musical pageantry.
    — Finn Gomez, Freep.com, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Republicans are reportedly discussing ways to create new red seats in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Florida, which fueled calls for Democratic-run states to counter by redrawing their own maps.
    — Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of seat
Verb
  • Local organizations and community members in Milwaukee are working to raise funds and support for both Hanan Refugees Relief Group and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.
    — Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Kennedy raises about 1,000 cattle and 2,800 sheep per year, in a regenerative style that prioritizes native plant varieties and focuses on sustainability.
    — Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Definition of raise
Verb
  • The Haleiwa Hotel was erected at the mouth of the Anahulu River in 1899 and stood there for 44 years, in stark contrast to its rural surroundings.
    — Paula Conway, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The original bronze statue—the first in the world—was erected in 1980 at the same location but was moved indoors in 1996 to the downtown Memphis Tennessee State Welcome Center to protect it from the elements and over-adoring fans.
    — Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Definition of erect
Verb
  • The mix of Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Colonial Revival and Prairie-style homes built between the late 1800s and early 1900s remain cultural gems that have benefited from preservation efforts.
    — Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Lu and his team are building a complete video suite to empower every organization in the world to automate videos—just as office productivity suites empower organizations to automate documents.
    — Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Definition of build
Verb
  • Here’s what else to know about the growing force on the ground in Washington.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Prescott said the growing voices have added strength to the opposition.
    — Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2025
Definition of grow
Noun
  • Hubble also saw a dust plume emanating from the sun-facing, warm side of the comet and feeding the coma, plus the barest hints of a dust tail.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • While WalletHub didn't exactly wag its tail for the Motor City, Michigan features a variety of pet-friendly attractions to check out across the Lower and Upper Peninsulas — including an upcoming dog parade in Northport.
    — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of tail
Verb
  • Some homeowners are choosing to foster clovers, specifically white clovers, in their lawns alongside other turf or grass. Also known as Dutch clover, white clover (Trifolium repens) is known for small white flowers that flourish in Southern climates.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025
  • To promote neighborhood engagement and foster stronger connections within the community, the City of Valparaiso will host a Neighborhood Workshop and Summer Social from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Forest Park Welter Room, 1155 Sheffield Drive, Valparaiso.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
Definition of foster

Phrases Containing rear

Browse Nearby Words

reaps
rear
reared
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rear. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on rear

Nglish: Translation of rear for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins
See More

Popular

See More

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All