Synonym Chooser

How is the word same different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of same are equal, equivalent, identical, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route
derived from the selfsame source

In what contexts can equal take the place of same?

Although the words equal and same have much in common, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When could equivalent be used to replace same?

The synonyms equivalent and same are sometimes interchangeable, but equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When might identical be a better fit than same?

While in some cases nearly identical to same, identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

How is very related to other words for same?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

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 same However, what has been less clear is whether dark matter obeys these same four forces. Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025 Those same Packers lost to the Cleveland Browns earlier this year as well. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025 After his youngest daughter, Mary Cheney, married her partner in June 2012, Cheney released a statement on the wedding that same year. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025 On the other hand, first-time buyers are unable to build that same equity and continue being pushed to the sidelines of the market. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for same
Recent Examples of Synonyms for same
Adjective
  • Fans pointed out that Trudeau's shark suit appeared to be nearly identical in color and style to the costumes worn by Perry's performers.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The four identical charts tell the tale.
    Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Popular opposition focused on those projects both endangering their resources and enriching the very companies that fan the flames of heating.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The maximally stupid outcome—which, by that very fact, seems all too probable—is that Trump gets bored of the whole affair and stops the air strikes after a putsch has been discovered, but before it’s succeeded.
    Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • While its initial focus was cross-border payments, Zhang said the company’s revenue is now spread over an array of products, with business accounts similar to Mercury comprising 34% of its revenue, spend management 20%, and payments 30%.
    Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Though the Maldives is the first country to enact such a ban, similar proposals have been debated – and nearly imposed – in other parts of the world.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Certain closet staples are well worth investing in, but finding comparable styles at a more affordable price point can make building a solid seasonal wardrobe more realistic.
    Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a measure to fund NASA at a level comparable to fiscal year 2025, and there is bipartisan support for maintaining the space agency's science programs.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That case established a new Second Amendment test, holding that modern-day regulations regarding gun rights must have an analogous historical regulation.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
  • As fiction films do something analogous to what is done in prose forms like the novel and the short story, so nonfiction films can have a broad choice of nonfiction literary models.
    Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Same.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/same. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on same

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