as in entertains
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
the older girl amused her four-year-old sister at the family reunion by showing her off to all the relatives
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Recent Examples of amuses
In December, the two sat down in Exactly Right’s Burbank headquarters — a setting that still amuses them both.
—
Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Zoë has been Artemis' right-hand warrior for more than 2,000 years, giving her a more serious nature that amuses modern demigods.
—EW.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Zoë has been Artemis' right-hand warrior for more than 2,000 years, giving her a more serious nature that amuses modern demigods.
—EW.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amuses
Verb
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With or without a bird’s nest in the nearby passion fruit vine, the outdoor living room, where Garner entertains friends in the evening by the fire, is a dreamlike oasis for curling up next to the space heaters with a cozy blanket.—
Architectural Digest,
Architectural Digest,
6 Feb. 2026
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Tellingly, when thinking about Erika on his own, Elliot entertains more traditional desires, like getting married and starting a family.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ninny regales Evelyn with tales of Idgi, her sister-in-law and friend who used to run the Whistle Stop Cafe, a restaurant on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama, that served good coffee, better barbecue, and great gossip.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Paying too much attention to AI benchmarks distracts from the tech's real value — when it is integrated into existing gaming or entertainment ecosystems such as Tencent's, Ivan Su, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said in a note.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
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Start by clearing what distracts you.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amuses. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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