as in use
the capacity for being useful for some purpose
although I appreciate the concern, your help would be of little avail in this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to benefit
to provide with something useful or desirable
all your begging will not avail you in the least
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of avail
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
Dallas is publicly on the hunt for a big-time pass-rusher to replace Micah Parsons, and has reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders about Maxx Crosby and the Cincinnati Bengals regarding Trey Hendrickson -- thus far to no avail.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Perhaps some of his future guests will come armed with hotter takes, or juicier gossip, to avail the show’s relaxed host in his smoky garage.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avail
Noun
Red, yellow and blue have each taken their turn to no avail.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
Dallas is publicly on the hunt for a big-time pass-rusher to replace Micah Parsons, and has reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders about Maxx Crosby and the Cincinnati Bengals regarding Trey Hendrickson -- thus far to no avail.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Only one other angler availed himself of the river's delights Thursday.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Perhaps some of his future guests will come armed with hotter takes, or juicier gossip, to avail the show’s relaxed host in his smoky garage.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avail
Noun
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This phase would most likely have included the use of cruise missiles, stealth bombers, and drones to hit air defense installations and command centers.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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Many returning Chinese scholars brought their Western training and methodologies back to the Chinese academy, prompting university officials to find ways to categorize—and make use of—their skills.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Deep conversations benefit from Jupiter’s newfound forward momentum, which energizes your 8th House of Deep Sharing.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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Travelers aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit from the new sleep areas.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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How to Successfully Store Leftover Paint To extend the usefulness of leftover house paint, our experts recommend abiding by the following rules for successful paint storage.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
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Music fans who were 16 when the Pumpkins helped shape the sound of alternative rock in 1993 were 23 when the band put out Machina/The Machines of God in 2000, and rapidly aging out of usefulness to MTV’s bottom line.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avail. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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