base 1 of 3

verb

Definition of basenext
as in to ground
to find a basis she based her argument on careful research

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

base

2 of 3

noun

ˈbās How to pronounce base (audio)
1
as in basis
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests the firm belief that complete trust between partners is the base of any successful marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in camp
a place from which an advance (as for military operations) is made the army's base of attack was kept top secret until the battle began

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest the base of the industry is California's Silicon Valley

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in bottom
the lowest part, place, or point the base of the mountain extends over a huge area make sure the base of the stove rests evenly on the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in headquarters
the place from which a commander runs operations the army base is three miles down the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

base

3 of 3

adjective

1
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency a base and sneaky act that is a clear violation of international law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humble
showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness their base obedience to every unprincipled action ordered by their leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective base contrast with its synonyms?

The words low and vile are common synonyms of base. While all three words mean "deserving of contempt because of the absence of higher values," base stresses the ignoble and may suggest cruelty, treachery, greed, or grossness.

base motives

When is low a more appropriate choice than base?

The meanings of low and base largely overlap; however, low may connote crafty cunning, vulgarity, or immorality and regularly implies an outraging of one's sense of decency or propriety.

refused to listen to such low talk

Where would vile be a reasonable alternative to base?

In some situations, the words vile and base are roughly equivalent. However, vile, the strongest of these words, tends to suggest disgusting depravity or filth.

a vile remark

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 base
Verb
Alpha also relies on a learning science team comprising subject-matter experts based globally, including licensed teachers, curriculum experts or specialists in early childhood education. — Maya Blackstone, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Although stock prices fluctuate, Zuckerberg could face a tax liability of roughly $12 billion based on his net worth. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
Located right at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain, Caldera House is not your traditional hotel. — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 In 1993 Swingers launched at the base of the Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel at the edge of the Fairfax District and Beverly Grove. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The base level of availability expected of people who work is unprecedented. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026 Another idea is to choose a base color that pairs well with it, such as pale yellow or butter yellow, and limit your outfit to those two hues. — Nuria Luis, Glamour, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for base
Recent Examples of Synonyms for base
  1. ground
  2. basis
  3. camp
  4. center
  5. bottom
  6. vile
  7. humble
  8. predicate
Verb
  • While tree hugging isn’t typically my thing, the experience was unexpectedly grounding and deeply calming.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • These kinds of phrases are grounding and can help contain some of that anxiety.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ground
Noun
  • For the technology leader responsible for keeping essential services running, these details provide a basis for assessing what protections exist and what happens in an extreme scenario.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Violence in the West Bank has surged in recent years as settlements have expanded, often backed by Israeli forces; attacks on farmers and communities who rely on the olive harvest for their livelihoods now come on a daily basis.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of basis
Noun
  • And the scant records around the outrageous boondoggle that poured more than $1 billion into a hellhole immigrant-detention camp in the Everglades point to him as the key engineer.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • May and Spoelstra developed a friendship during May’s time in Boca Raton, with the Heat holding several training camps at FAU while May was coaching there.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of camp
Noun
  • Sequenced at the center of a three-track medley, its death-dream logic deliberately evokes the SMiLE era’s dark, confusing edge.
    — Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Amid the deadlock, Hinson is making her own play for the center.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • Before digging into that, the interface looks a lot like macOS, with an app drawer at the bottom of the screen with a search function and a status bar at the top with app-level options, time, battery, notifications, and connectivity controls.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Broil on the middle rack until the top side is toasted, then flip and toast the bottom (watch it carefully).
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of bottom
Adjective
  • Prosecutors reveal Ha used anonymous social media accounts to send dozens of vile antisemitic threats, leaking the victim’s home address and forcing their family to flee.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • New additions include singer Tank, who plays vile music exec Eric Cropper and Jax’s main client, Beauty in Black star Taylor Polidore Williams as Eric’s wife Brooke, La La Anthony as Eric’s first wife Melina, and then Megan Good as Regina Harris.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • Fresh off a massive four-year, $180-million contract extension that solidified Reaves as a legitimate star player, the humble Arkansas native has elevated his game with the same mindset taught to him from his parents and older brother.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In the early days, players were humble, and genuinely grateful just to have a place in the United States to play.
    — Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of humble
Verb
  • Corral was keen to push the concept of ‘quality mainstream,’ which is predicated on the idea that ambitious concepts will attract audiences on the strength of the content.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Others could imitate but never replicate; their coolness was predicated on their originality.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of predicate

Phrases Containing base

Browse Nearby Words

basal
base
baseball cap
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Base.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/base. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on base

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about base

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All