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
The thing that amuses me the most?
—
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
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
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amuses
Verb
-
This style of theater both enlightens and entertains, each actor stepping out of the ensemble inside Kelleher’s direction that teeters on the edge of heavy-handidness without ever getting there.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Take the quiz here … EGG DROP — Chef entertains food festival crowd with unexpected crack.—
,
FOXNews.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the indie film, Hawke transforms himself into the diminutive composer, who regales attendees at Sardi’s bar with anecdotes about his career highs in the theater and bemoans the loss of his former partnership with Richard Rodgers.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Feb. 2026
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Handsome Belgian executive Geert (Arieh Worthalter) regales an enthusiastic crowd with a yarn, while his mousy tech head Luc (Jan Hammenecker) demonstrates to what might be the world’s first speech-to-text technology.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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French’s focus on DEI efforts and Islam, some of his opponents said, distracts voters from the actual issues facing Texas’ oil and gas industry.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Feb. 2026
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Choose roof shingles that complement your home's architecture and exterior color palette, treating the roof as a subtle backdrop that enhances rather than distracts.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amuses. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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