service 1 of 3

1
2
3
as in troops
the combined army, air force, and navy of a nation at the time the country had about a million men and women in the service

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in agency
a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the OSS, the nation's wartime intelligence service

Synonyms & Similar Words

service

2 of 3

adjective

as in military
of or relating to the armed services spent his time in the army as a correspondent for service newspapers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

service

3 of 3

verb

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 service
Noun
The Palisades fire, which occurred in territory serviced by the L.A. Department of Water and Power, isn’t covered by the state fund. Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 The small airport services a handful of major airlines, including Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, which operate from major U.S. cities such as Chicago and Seattle. Carole Dixon, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2025
Adjective
Two months after that donation and the month after they were re-elected, Kelly, Woods and Shield voted to award a contract to Howard to provide legal services specifically for the board, even though the district already had its own attorney. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025 But the indictment says Jones’ company provided no services. Miami Herald, 6 July 2025
Verb
The Spa at the Breakers in Palm Beach (pictured here) is just one service provider that includes pre-service consult to make guests facing physical limitations or special considerations feel incredibly welcome and at ease before stepping into their facilities. Zee Krstic, goodhousekeeping.com, 11 May 2023 Some afternoons, the answer is no, which is just the reality for a small counter-service operation with a large menu apparently designed for almost every taqueria in the chain. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for service
Recent Examples of Synonyms for service
Noun
  • Lunches, meetings, phone calls, always Mark’s delicious southern drawl infusing us with his spirit and kindness.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 July 2025
  • Politeness and kindness are attributes that parents want to reinforce and encourage in their children.
    Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • Tires, batteries and other products with limited use life expectancy may have product-specific limited warranties.
    Hannah Hudnall, The Courier-Journal, 7 July 2025
  • The American Pharmacists Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, along with groups such as the American Medical Association, have opposed the use of ivermectin to treat COVID except in clinical trials.
    Sarah Cutler July 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • The group’s 900-page policy agenda gained the most attention, proposing a policy blueprint for all major federal agencies that pushed controversial right-wing policies and sought to give the president more power by replacing career civil servants with presidential appointees.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • The parent agency of ICE and the Border Patrol stands to gain $169 billion under the current bill, more than doubling the department's current budget of $68 billion.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Hamas has urged Palestinians not to cooperate with the GHF. GHF, which is registered in Delaware, began distributing food in May to Palestinians, who say Israeli troops open fire almost every day toward crowds on roads heading to the distribution points, through Israeli military zones.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 July 2025
  • In Moscow, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and other military equipment in Kyiv.
    Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • Even with flaws, emergency managers and the public are conditioned to understand or react to high numbers on scales.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • The militant group, meanwhile, has conditioned the release of the remaining hostages on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, a stipulation Israel has been unwilling to accept.
    Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • The new rule — a privilege that TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry members already enjoy — does not mean passengers won't at times be pulled for additional screening, where they will still be required to take off their shoes for security, Noem said.
    Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 9 July 2025
  • O'Connor declined to answer questions during a deposition scheduled for Wednesday in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government, asserting physician-patient privilege as well as his right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Aplin tells New Scientist that the research points to the usefulness of future efforts to monitor electrostatic discharges from satellites.
    Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
  • For the test voyage, Kaifu et al. selected the Ryukyus strait between Taiwan and Yonaguni Island, where there are no effective tailwinds, the Kuroshio current flows northward, and the target island is not visible for more than the first half of the voyage, limiting its usefulness for navigation.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • On May 22, three soldiers who witnessed the Mount Suribachi flag-raising on the island of Iwo Jima were greeted by 1,000 schoolchildren.
    Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The goal is to slow Russia's advance and weaken their fighting power while sacrificing as few Ukrainian soldiers as possible.
    Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Dec. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Service.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/service. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on service

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!