Synonyms of advances

advances 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of advance

1

as in lends

to give to another for temporary use with the understanding that it or a like thing will be returned

advanced her some cash with the understanding that the amount would be deducted from her first paycheck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lends
• loans
• gives
• grants
• furnishes
• rents
• leases
• lets

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• takes
• receives
• borrows

2

as in promotes

to help the growth or development of

great thinkers who did much to advance modern science

Synonyms & Similar Words

• promotes
• encourages
• cultivates
• fosters
• nurtures
• furthers
• forwards
• advocates
• nurses
• supports
• aids
• nourishes
• assists
• funds
• champions
• endorses
• finances
• backs
• incubates
• stakes
• underwrites
• subsidizes
• upholds
• advertises
• works (for)
• boosts
• endows
• campaigns (for)
• patronizes
• abets
• plugs
• publicizes
• touts
• agitates (for)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prevents
• hinders
• inhibits
• discourages
• prohibits
• frustrates
• forbids
• counters
• opposes
• outlaws
• contends (with)
• bans
• proscribes
• fights
• bars
• combats
• battles
• enjoins
• arrests
• retards
• interdicts
• suppresses
• checks
• stifles
• halts
• subdues
• squashes
• represses
• interferes (with)
• impedes
• obstructs
• squelches
• encumbers
• hobbles
• snuffs (out)
• fetters
• shackles
• manacles

3

as in progresses

to move forward along a course

as the technology advances, electronic devices keep getting smaller and smarter

Synonyms & Similar Words

• progresses
• proceeds
• does
• marches
• goes
• comes
• forges
• comes along
• paces
• gains ground
• fares
• goes along
• goes off
• gets along
• speeds
• approaches
• gets on
• accelerates
• travels
• pushes
• repairs
• drives
• fast-forwards
• nears
• propels
• passes
• journeys
• wends
• impels
• actuates
• runs
• takes out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• remains
• stands
• blocks
• stops
• arrests
• hinders
• stems
• stays
• checks
• impedes
• slows (down or up)
• halts
• retards
• obstructs
• delays
• interrupts
• suppresses
• inhibits
• represses
• balks
• hampers
• holds back
• stalls
• ceases
• pauses
• stunts
• detains
• nips
• waits
• cramps
• regresses
• lets up

4

as in upgrades

to move higher in rank or position

within six months was advanced to the position of head waiter, to the dismay of the waiters who had been there much longer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• promotes
• upgrades
• elevates
• improves
• raises
• forwards
• furthers
• kicks upstairs
• lifts
• knights
• uplifts
• heightens
• compliments
• applauds
• boosts
• commends
• honors
• congratulates
• celebrates
• cites
• acclaims
• commissions
• aggrandizes
• hails
• ennobles
• lauds
• salutes
• praises
• exalts
• extols
• decorates
• eulogizes
• glorifies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reduces
• degrades
• lowers
• downgrades
• dismisses
• removes
• overthrows
• expels
• impeaches
• ousts
• deposes
• demotes
• shames
• abases
• takes down
• dishonors
• disgraces
• humiliates
• humbles
• demeans
• denounces
• condemns
• unmakes
• mortifies
• dethrones
• unseats
• censures
• damns
• reprobates

5

as in proposes

to set before the mind for consideration

let me explain my reasons for advancing this proposal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• proposes
• suggests
• poses
• offers
• recommends
• votes
• presents
• bounces
• puts forward
• proffers
• propounds
• puts forth
• submits
• moves
• plans
• plots
• files
• maps
• tenders
• charts
• nominates
• shapes
• arranges
• trots out
• lodges
• covers
• frames
• calculates
• lays
• contrives

6

as in approaches

to move closer to

advanced cautiously toward the snarling dog

Synonyms & Similar Words

• approaches
• comes
• enters
• nears
• drops in
• pops (in)
• nighs

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• goes
• withdraws
• retreats
• leaves
• exits
• departs
• recedes (from)

advances

2 of 2

noun

plural of advance

1

as in advancements

forward movement in time or place

during her long convalescence, the housebound woman was barely aware of the advance of the seasons

Synonyms & Similar Words

• advancements
• processes
• progresses
• progressions
• processions
• goings
• marches
• flows
• headways
• leaps
• passages
• furtherances
• approaches
• steps
• onrushes
• streams
• currents
• comings
• strides
• arrivals
• ways
• fluxes
• drifts
• jumps
• bounds
• advents
• momenta
• impetuses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• regressions
• retreats
• recessions
• recesses
• retrogressions
• returns
• reversals
• ebbs
• reverses
• regresses
• retractions
• refluxes
• backwashes
• turnarounds
• turnabouts
• about-faces

2

as in improvements

an instance of notable progress in the development of knowledge, technology, or skill

under her new teacher, the aspiring violinist has made noticeable advances in her technique in just a few weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• improvements
• advancements
• breakthroughs
• developments
• refinements
• innovations
• enhancements
• discoveries
• increases
• educations
• evolutions
• ameliorations
• gestations
• betterments
• upturns
• upswings
• civilizations
• maturations
• quantum leaps
• finds
• growths
• enlightenments
• perfections
• revivals
• elaborations
• upgrades
• edifications
• meliorations
• uplifts
• inventions
• windfalls
• expansions
• boosts
• uptrends
• renaissances
• renascences

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• setbacks
• breakdowns
• collapses
• reductions
• impediments
• crashes
• decreases
• declines
• hindrances
• shortcomings
• lapses
• failings
• stumbling blocks
• drawbacks
• degenerations
• impairments
• downgrades
• decays
• declensions
• deteriorations
• glitches
• detriments
• descents
• diminishments
• decadences
• languishments
• disablements

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of advances

Verb

This latest ideological assault on professionalism advances neither objective. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

The preliminary outcome, if confirmed, would mark the fourth consecutive time Fujimori advances to a second round. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026

The two sides are tied in group play and the winner advances to the final tournament. —Pj Green april 11, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2026

Through this comparative method, Dara Shikoh advances the view that the two traditions express fundamentally equivalent spiritual truths. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026

The measure advances Howard County Executive Calvin Ball's Interfaith Action Plan, which analyzed 12 areas in an effort to ensure that all religious communities receive compassion, justice and care. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026

If this quest advances at the breakneck pace Isaacman desires, then Earth’s celestial sidekick will also become a place of profound scientific revelations. —Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026

Swalwell, a Democrat, is among a crowded field of candidates jostling for advantage in a race in which a small margin could decide who advances to the November general election. —ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026

Then, after those 12 singers perform, Seacrest will announce a second round of results, determining who advances as the Top 11. —Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026

Noun

After the case went cold for decades, advances in DNA technology led to the case being reopened and the baby's body being exhumed in July 2019, KVLY, Valley News Live, and KX News reported. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026

Continuing advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, pain management and patient education have also altered the TKR surgical landscape. —Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026

The case was reopened in 2019 after advances in DNA technology. —Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026

Some Chinese exhibitors flexed their advances at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Monday, showing robotic capabilities that ranged from talking to humans, punching and sand painting to doing backflips and catching suspects with nets during security patrol demonstrations. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

As a result, Russian advances have slowed down, allowing Ukraine to counterattack. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026

According to the student paper, Welsh became extremely popular and spurned the advances of the men on campus. —Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026

The changes aim to eliminate what officials described as stigmatizing language and reflect advances in preventative care. —Eric Henderson, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

The threat of a similarly latent attack — in which malware lies dormant in critical infrastructure systems, waiting for a signal to activate — is a real cause for concern in the sector, despite its best efforts and technological advances, experts and insiders said. —Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026