associates 1 of 2

Definition of associatesnext
present tense third-person singular of associate
1
2
as in identifies
to think of (something) in combination she still associates Memorial Day with her long-ago fiancé, who died in Vietnam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
as in mixes
to take part in social activities you should try to associate with people your own age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

associates

2 of 2

noun

plural of associate

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of associates
Verb
Greene’s heart-to-heart media tour has been jarring liberals and anyone else who associates her with conspiratorial beliefs and outrageous comments. Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025 Everyone associates that with us. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025 Hunger can be another motivator, especially if your feline associates certain times or behaviors with food. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Create Low-Stakes Opportunities for Visibility Gen Z often associates visibility with exposure to criticism. Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Especially given the fact that the latter only associates itself with organic style stars, not limited to Solange and Beyoncé. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 25 Aug. 2025 The brain also associates hyperarousal while playing video games with dopamine. Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
But once the tech is in place, dealership owners are going to be all about robot sales associates. Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026 The stores are expected to create job opportunities for around 150 associates each. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026 At some point during the brawl, one of Lil Tjay’s associates produced a gun and pulled the trigger, wounding Offset. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026 Search warrants were executed for the homes of Lugo and Doorbal and their associates. Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026 Affected positions included 46 skilled production operators, 43 general production associates, 13 skilled freezer operators, team leads, managers and others. Jack Suntrup, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026 Twelve members and associates of the 18th Street Gang were arrested last month in Los Angeles on charges including murder in the death of a drug trafficker, the DEA said. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026 Industry associates whispered to Vanity Fair in 1996 about Mottola adopting shady mobster tactics in his running of Sony, demanding loyalty and allegedly keeping a gun in his briefcase. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026 The Epstein associates whose names are on campus buildings also are typically generous donors, as well as alumni. Julie Carr Smyth, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for associates
Verb
  • Written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, the film centers on a young man from Mumbai who travels back to his family’s village in rural Maharashtra after his father dies, bound by tradition to observe a 10-day mourning period.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The first follows the Rajput king Ratansen of Chitor (a fortress in what is now Chittorgarh, Rajasthan), who renounces his throne and travels as a yogi (wandering ascetic) to the island kingdom of Simhal to win the legendary Padmavati.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Epstein files released by the Justice Department contain a 2002 email exchange between Maxwell and a woman who identifies herself as Melania.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The collection also included SL-700 Technics turntables — items Hall identifies as sacred in Biz’s world.
    Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Clean Acne features blue LED lights to kill acne-causing bacteria while the Clean Redvolution combines the cleansing power of PMD Clean with the rejuvenating treatment of red light therapy.
    Tory Johnson, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Named by Travel + Leisure as one of 2025’s best new hotels, Atzaro Okavango Safari Camp in Botswana combines luxury and responsible tourism.
    Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • If the weather cooperates, tonight's livestream could offer one of the last chances to catch a glimpse of Orion in deep space before its fiery journey back through Earth's atmosphere.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Combine that with annual appearances from the country’s best music ensembles and this fest is a sure winner no matter who is on stage — at least when the weather cooperates.
    Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Potting mixes degrade over time and may start to drain poorly.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Co-created by and starring Dan Levy, the darkly funny series mixes dysfunctional family antics with the drama of being pulled into an organized crime ring.
    Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • His appearance was a surprise even to his colleagues, who stood up and applauded enthusiastically as the audience whooped and hollered.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Those roots deepened in 2024, when five of Sediqa’s colleagues formed a sponsor group through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, bringing our family together after three years apart.
    Sediqa Fahimi, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The architect ultimately bonds with — and quickly becomes attracted to — his friend’s wife (Pamela Gidley), and as the two of them pursue their passions together, secrets from the architect’s past and family bubble to the surface.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Tekton bonds the body together into a seamless, self-supporting monocoque optimized for thermal and leakproof integrity.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Jeffery’s lab studies the ageing retina, in which functional decline correlates with mitochondrial deterioration.
    Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Which correlates to a decline in the number of students concentrating and majoring in Black Studies.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Associates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/associates. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.

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