ACQUIRE Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

acquire

verb

ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r

Definition of acquire

as in to develop

to come to have gradually from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to earn

to receive as return for effort acquired a reputation for always arriving at his friends' house just as they were sitting down to dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 acquire Butler signed a two-year extension when he was acquired by the Warriors before the 2025 trade deadline, which paid him more than $54 million this past season and almost $57 million next season. — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 4 July 2026 The club acquired midfielder Kennedy Fuller from Angel City FC during the June transfer window. — Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 4 July 2026 The Lakers acquired Ayton before last season after the Portland Trail Blazers bought out his contract, signing him to a two-year, $16-million deal. — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Ice cream manufacturer Wells Enterprises, which also owns Blue Bunny, acquired Halo Top in 2019. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquire

Verb

But Canada has plans to launch hundreds of new satellites to safeguard its national sovereignty, reducing reliance on Washington, and the European Union is developing its own network of 290 satellites.

— Amy Gunia, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
To develop the system, Earth Fire Alliance conducted hundreds of interviews firefighters, incident commanders and scientists worldwide to identify gaps in existing fire data, Kapusta said.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

But the star has cultivated a loyal collective of her favorite brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Area (recall her famous Super Bowl jeans).

— Morgan Evans, USA Today, 4 July 2026
The one-person filmmaker averages 3 million views per episode and has cultivated a YouTube audience of 500,000.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of cultivate

Verb

Monthly events like their floral arrangement workshop and cocktail classes create a space where people can enjoy an experience while gaining new skills and knowledge.

— Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Join today to gain access to our latest series ‘Fashion’s Real Reset Starts Now’.

— Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 July 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

Research and development accounts for an average of just 4% of European countries’ defense budgets, compared to 10% for the United States – which reaps significant economic multiplier effects from that military spending.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
For the first time, both Nike and Adidas are reaping the benefits.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of reap

Verb

Again, these are creators who are operating like studios, many of them churning out episode after episode and garnering a lot of views.

— Peter White, Deadline, 8 July 2026
Goli recalled that one woman said that his design wouldn’t help her, garnering agreement from her peers.

— Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Definition of garner

Browse Nearby Words

acquirable

acquire

acquired

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Style

“Acquire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquire. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of acquire

verb

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