ace 1 of 3

noun

ˈās How to pronounce ace (audio)
Definition of acenext
1
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field took a few lessons with a tennis ace to improve his backhand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shred
a very small amount not an ace of truth in what she said

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inch
a very small distance or degree came within an ace of being chosen for the part

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ace

2 of 3

adjective

as in skilled
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor an ace computer programmer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ace

3 of 3

verb

as in to effect

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 ace
Noun
Friday night at Truist Park, the pitcher the Mets once considered to be an ace stood stoically in front of the media as he was asked about being moved to the bullpen. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026 Some guys realize their immense potential and develop into future aces like Justin Verlander. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 July 2026
Adjective
Another question the team might face – whether the return of Garrett from major elbow surgery and emergences of Snelling and White will prompt a trade of ace right-hander Sandy Alcantara – is more complicated. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 5 May 2026 That mentality was on display in Miami’s 2-1 Opening Day win over the Colorado Rockies, a gritty win that featured a stellar start from ace Sandy Alcantara, timely hitting and strong defense — the backbone of any successful team. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans underwent left-elbow surgery Wednesday. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 An operator can ace a safety procedure assessment and skip that procedure under production pressure the following week. — James Glover, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ace
  1. expert
  2. shred
  3. inch
  4. skilled
  5. nail
  6. master
  7. splash
  8. step
Noun
  • But this should be guided and individualized by the right expert in terms of counseling and determining both the risks and benefits of sports based on the cardiac diagnosis and type of sport engaged in by the athlete.
    — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
  • Sandy Baum, an expert in education finance with the Urban Institute, said the new loan limits are unreasonably low, but uncapped borrowing was a real problem and some restrictions are necessary.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of expert
Noun
  • Their main flaw is that the protagonists rarely display a shred of agency or activity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • The rest of the band followed his lead, particularly Green, a relentless head-banger, dropping to her knees to become one with the feedback and leaning back into beatific shred-faces.
    — Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • Working with sections about 2 inches wide, wrap the hair firmly around a silk heatless curling ribbon, directing the hair away from the face.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 8 July 2026
  • Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
Definition of inch
Adjective
  • The plebeians have plenty to be furious about, but their representatives, skilled at turning a crowd into a mob, seem hellbent on shoring up their own influence.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • It is stored in plain text in RAM and can theoretically be accessed by administrators, cloud operators, hypervisors, or highly skilled attackers through malware, insider threats, or side-channel attacks.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of skilled
Verb
  • Bethell hit five fours and five sixes in his 46-ball stay, finishing the game alongside Jofra Archer as England nailed a four-wicket win with an over to spare.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actor and his longtime love made their debut at the iconic tennis tournament—held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England—last year and nailed the dress code.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 3 July 2026
Definition of nail
Noun
  • While theology and ministry studies were designated as nonprofessional, the master of divinity degree often pursued by eventual pastors or ministers does retain professional status.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • In one mega master in San Antonio, Texas, out of the 175 cases ordered to appear before a judge one morning, about 40 people didn’t show up, said attorney Jessica Smith Bobadilla.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of master
Noun
  • The Phone 4b is IP64-rated for a dust-tight and splash-resistant design.
    — Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Waterproof surfaces like quartz or marble handle spills and splashes without staining.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • Some were finely cut feathers; others, more surprisingly, were denim in various washes that created a kind of dimensional pointillist effect unlike anything else photographed on the red steps of the Palais.
    — Amy Verner, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • From bringing back college football to taking major steps with Madden franchise mode, the developer/publisher is delivering solid virtual gridiron experiences.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of step

Phrases Containing ace

Browse Nearby Words

accustoms
ace
aced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ace. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ace

Nglish: Translation of ace for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All