Synonyms of train

train 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrān 

1

as in entourage

a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person

a movie star who never goes anywhere without a train of personal assistants to cater to his every whim and need

Synonyms & Similar Words

• entourage
• crew
• staff
• tail
• posse
• personnel
• following
• suite
• retinue
• cortege
• assistant
• helper
• attendant
• court
• retainer

2

as in fleet

a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management

a train of supply trucks making its way to the army encampment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fleet
• convoy
• caravan
• parade
• procession
• line
• cavalcade
• motorcade
• armada
• flotilla
• navy
• column
• cortege
• argosy

3

as in queue

a series of persons or things arranged one behind another

already a long train of ticket buyers waiting outside the stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words

• queue
• line
• column
• string
• row
• file
• range
• cue
• rank
• chain
• sequence
• tier
• progression
• succession
• echelon
• array

4

as in sequence

a series of things linked together

you've broken my train of thought—now what were we talking about?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sequence
• chain
• string
• progression
• nexus
• concatenation
• consecution
• continuum
• catenation
• cycle
• belt
• chain reaction
• gauntlet
• flow
• scale
• circle
• river
• catena
• stream
• spectrum
• queue
• vicious circle
• succession
• line
• gamut
• file
• row
• range

train

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to prepare

to bring to a proper or desired state of fitness

has been training track-and-field athletes at the school for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prepare
• adjust
• condition
• season
• shape
• ready
• adapt
• orient
• acclimate
• accommodate
• break in
• strengthen
• fit
• accustom
• familiarize
• acclimatize
• orientate
• steel
• shape up
• habilitate
• habituate
• fortify
• inure
• naturalize
• toughen
• harden

2

as in to teach

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field

will train the students in good study habits

Synonyms & Similar Words

• teach
• educate
• school
• lesson
• indoctrinate
• instruct
• coach
• tutor
• guide
• prepare
• mentor
• ground
• lecture
• prime
• drill
• preach
• inform
• lead
• retrain
• inculcate
• moralize
• qualify
• direct
• instill
• impart (to)
• show
• rear
• introduce
• fit
• habilitate
• edify
• familiarize
• enlighten
• implant
• catechize
• initiate
• verse
• reeducate
• brief
• homeschool
• reschool
• reteach

3

as in to focus

to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective

train all your thoughts on imagining how you'd score the winning goal in the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

• focus
• concentrate
• rivet
• center
• fasten
• home (in on)
• aim
• point
• direct
• attend
• set
• heed
• nail
• level
• zero (in on)
• mind
• fixate (on)
• refocus
• hone in (on)
• obsess (over)

4

as in to aim

to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal

trained his eyes on the distant bull's-eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aim
• cast
• direct
• set
• head
• hold
• bend
• steer
• pinpoint
• focus
• sight
• level
• concentrate
• face
• orient
• bear
• incline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• curve
• divert
• avert
• deflect
• shunt
• detour
• sidetrack
• rechannel

5

as in to equip

to make competent (as by training, skill, or ability) for a particular office or function

he's so experienced that they usually use him to train new recruits

Synonyms & Similar Words

• equip
• prepare
• qualify
• ready
• enable
• teach
• season
• fit
• condition
• adapt
• adjust
• shape
• groom
• educate
• tailor
• habituate
• school
• accustom
• empower
• authorize
• entitle
• instruct
• indoctrinate
• tutor

Synonym Chooser

How is the word train different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of train are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and teach. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than train?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When could educate be used to replace train?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When is it sensible to use instruct instead of train?

The synonyms instruct and train are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to train?

While in some cases nearly identical to train, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When might teach be a better fit than train?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of train

Noun

Both inbound and outbound trains were affected for about half an hour before inbound train movement was restored, officials said. —Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026

Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan, was speaking at a political rally near a train station in the city of Nara when the shots rang out. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Verb

Calling for select post-secondary employees to be trained and armed, the Education & Employment Committee unanimously backed the proposal (HB 757) that builds on changes made in the public-school system after the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. —Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026

Lack of green job opportunities Green Careers Texas in Dallas worked with community organizations to help disrupt poverty by training North Texans for higher-wage careers in solar installation. —Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026

Phrases Containing train

• gravy train