1
as in works (for)
to be a servant for
he served his master faithfully for 20 years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
4
as in treats
to behave toward in a stated way
my parents served me well in preparing me for life
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
6
as in benefits
to provide with something useful or desirable
an excellent college that served her with the skills necessary to make it in today's job market
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of serves
The eVTOL aircraft serves as a technology demonstrator rather than a commercial vehicle.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Enter this one-pan version that serves eight and is ready in about an hour—most of which is baking time.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Catholic Charities has a 168-unit affordable housing community, Trinity Garden, that serves seniors aged 55 and older who meet the income criteria.
—Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 4 Feb. 2026
His dad LaMarr, who serves as a volunteer assistant to coach Jim Nazos, didn’t get to see the game.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The festival serves as the organization’s second-largest fundraiser of the year, aiming to collect $215,000 to support Pet Alliances’s general operation.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which serves Minneapolis and several suburbs, said its policies have not changed.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The bar serves nearly 5,000 cups of this fruity punch on game days.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Again, the work of the past serves them well here.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Enter this one-pan version that serves eight and is ready in about an hour—most of which is baking time.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Catholic Charities has a 168-unit affordable housing community, Trinity Garden, that serves seniors aged 55 and older who meet the income criteria.
—Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 4 Feb. 2026
His dad LaMarr, who serves as a volunteer assistant to coach Jim Nazos, didn’t get to see the game.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The festival serves as the organization’s second-largest fundraiser of the year, aiming to collect $215,000 to support Pet Alliances’s general operation.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which serves Minneapolis and several suburbs, said its policies have not changed.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The bar serves nearly 5,000 cups of this fruity punch on game days.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Again, the work of the past serves them well here.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serves
Verb
-
For some, the lower-tier MacBook Air suffices.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
4 Jan. 2026
-
No single material suffices to replicate that distinctive human texture.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
While not every product in the brand’s SOS collection includes hypochlorous acid (an excellent anti-acneic ingredient), the serum does.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
-
When an older condo building sits on valuable land in a desirable neighborhood, like Biscayne 21 does, developers often see it as an opportunity to tear down the old and replace it with a newer, more profitable luxury condo building.—
Catherine Odom
January 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So the house went searching for the kind of workshop that still treats crystal as craft, landing with a fourth-generation maker in Bohemia to hand-etch each of the 200 bottles.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Stanton treats the exchange in such rudimentary, flat fashion that any connection between us and the character is lost.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The amber hue of the beaded chokers acts as a neutral color against the lapis-blue top, emulating a similar warmth to the yellow-gold pendant to tie the accessories together.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The host acts as dead weight, occupying space without contributing any heat-storage capacity, ultimately diluting the material’s overall efficiency.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
These 10 exercises can work your abdominal muscles more than Pilates alone, challenging your core and supporting your spine in a way that benefits everyday tasks.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Waiting until July allows the Bucks to pit the Warriors’ offer against a league-wide bidding war, rather than negotiating against a deadline that only benefits Golden State.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Prince Harry always attends, often with his wife, Meghan Markle, 44.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
-
On both page and stage, Benedict attends a party where Sophie is working, defends her against her lecherous employer, then whisks them both away to his cottage, where Benedict recovers from an injury sustained in the confrontation.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike end-of-life recycling plants, the CRCC primarily handles unused cells and residues from pilot production.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
ChatGPT handles the thinking work that used to require a whole team.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond theory, the setup also functions as an ultra-sensitive force sensor.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The organization still functions.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serves. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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