as in ambitious
having a strong desire for personal advancement
an aspiring young pianist eager to win the prestigious competition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in planning
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rising
to move or extend upward
a tower aspiring towards the heavens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of aspiring
Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Many aspiring coaches look for systems that promise certainty, assuming the right funnel or platform will carry the business.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The new season’s lead—Benedict Bridgerton, a louche aspiring artist played by Luke Thompson—would seem to present the ideal opportunity to switch things up.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aspiring
Adjective
While lower mortgage rates help boost homebuyers’ purchasing power, the biggest hurdle many aspiring homeowners face is being able to save up for a down payment.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Many aspiring coaches look for systems that promise certainty, assuming the right funnel or platform will carry the business.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Rishi, once a celebrated piano prodigy, has just been kicked out of rehab and is grappling with addiction, shame and the weight of unrealized potential, while Zara, an aspiring YA author, has turned to influencer culture.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The new season’s lead—Benedict Bridgerton, a louche aspiring artist played by Luke Thompson—would seem to present the ideal opportunity to switch things up.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aspiring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiring
Adjective
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The brainchild of Chris Roberts, the mind behind Wing Commander and Freelancer, Star Citizen is probably the most ambitious ongoing project in video games, having raised nearly one billion dollars in funding as of this writing.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Originally conceived in the late 1950s as an ambitious shopping mall, the project was never completed and was later repurposed by security forces.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company has a location in north Fort Worth in the Alliance area, and is planning a second Cowtown store in the Walsh area along Interstate 20.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
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Mandelson also appeared to tip off Epstein that the European Union was planning a €500 billion bailout to prop up the euro, also in the wake of the financial crisis.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kumar is one of millions of residents in the Indian capital suffering sporadic water shortages due to rising ammonia levels in the Yamuna River that last week forced six of the city’s nine major water plants to shut down.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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These cycles, which last about 11 years, mark periods of rising and falling solar activity.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce owns the intellectual property rights to the image of the Hollywood® Sign, so that anyone intending to use and/or access the Hollywood® Sign for commercial purposes must obtain a license or permission from the Hollywood Chamber to do so.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Deer-ly beloved On a now typical frosty evening late last week, Beth Brecher was about to walk out of her back door onto Central Park intending to feed the birds.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Honnold gained world-wide fame after ascending Yosemite National Park’s 3,000-foot El Capitan without safety equipment or rope in 2017.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
26 Jan. 2026
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The documentary, which won a BAFTA and an Academy Award, thrust both its subject and the sport of free solo climbing—the act of ascending a cliff or mountain alone, without any ropes, harnesses or safety gear—into the spotlight.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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There are no driver's licenses, no credit cards and other paper trail with which to start looking.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By adding PeerDAS and increasing blob capacity, this development helped push Ethereum out of a rut similar to Bitcoin's, climbing from about $2,700 to more than $3,000.—
Matthew Kayser,
Freep.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Doncic climbing in jersey sales Aside from viewership metrics in Slovenia, Doncic is seeing his popularity rise on another front.—
Eric Prisbell,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, the price tag for keeping sports in the portfolio is soaring exponentially, even as many traditional media companies are grappling with dips in advertising and distribution.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
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You’re surrounded by soaring buildings while still in nature.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aspiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiring. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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