1
as in to seek
to make a request for
don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to woo
to act so as to make (something) more likely
you are asking for trouble if you invite her ex to the wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to request
to give a request or demand for
the surgeon asked for the scalpel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ask (for)
Verb
-
The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026 -
Under California law, prisoners seeking parole may not be penalized for failing to admit wrongdoing, so Kovacich’s claim of innocence was not used against him, Tellman said.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That could spell a long summer of road trips to woo conservative holdovers stranded at the lower entryway to the north state.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
That was a concession the Ellisons made to woo WBD away from its previous merger partner, Netflix.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Barron, who turned 20 on March 20, also listed Mar-a-Lago as his address and requested a mail-in ballot on March 14, voter records show.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Call 305-415-3896 to request a safety walk.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Residents, including Shauna Bell who lives in McCrorey Heights, said some neighbors weren’t invited.—
Desiree Mathurin
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The nurturing Moon drifts into your 12th House of Solitude, inviting you to pause and seek privacy.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, trained to land in hostile territory to secure key positions and airfields, have been ordered to the Middle East.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Denise was ordered to go into the same closet.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ask (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ask%20%28for%29. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
