bases 1 of 3

verb

Definition of basesnext
present tense third-person singular of base
as in grounds
to find a basis she based her argument on careful research

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bases

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of base
1
as in foundations
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests the firm belief that complete trust between partners is the base of any successful marriage

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2
as in camps
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

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

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4
as in bottoms
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

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

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bases

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of basis
as in cornerstones
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests the sole basis for the rumor is someone's overactive imagination

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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 bases
Verb
Currently, the Social Security Administration bases its COLA each year on average annual increases in the CPI-W, or the index for urban wage earners, from July through September. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 The company currently has 230 employees, bases its research in Tel Aviv, and its operations in New York City. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services bases some of its payments on hospital surveys her group designed. — Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 In place of factory seats, Wellhouse bases its conversion around the incredibly versatile Schnierle floor rail system it's long used in other small van conversions. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026 Many airline reward programs — including Delta's SkyMiles, United's MileagePlus and American Airlines' AAdvantage — have adopted some form of dynamic pricing, which bases fares on demand. — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 22 July 2026 The Federal Reserve, for example, bases its interest-rate decisions around the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ jobs data, among other sources. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 The group always bases its sound in the harder side of rock, but songs and even albums by the Grammy-winning outfit can be classified under several different genre labels. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 There's now a 40% probability that the Federal Reserve will hike rates at its December meeting, up from 3% at its June meeting, according to CME FedWatch, which bases its predictions on 30-Day Fed funds futures prices. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Noun
Athletics The Athletics are led by DH Brent Rooker, who hit 39 homers and stole 11 bases last year, and right fielder Lawrence Butler, an emerging star who added 22 homers and 18 steals. — Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 Washington Nationals The Nationals should take the next step forward as their young nucleus, led by shortstop CJ Abrams, who hit 20 homers and stole 31 bases last year, continues to develop and improve. — Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 As recently as 2011, there were nearly 50 ejections across MLB solely because of calls on the bases, according to research by Retrosheet founder Dave Smith. — Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 Then replay arrived in 2014 — and by 2019, there was only one ejection, over a call on the bases, all season. — Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 But due to the enormous size of the military and the wide range of commands, units and bases, there has been an array of interpretations of what to remove and how as part of the Pentagon directive to delete online content that promotes DEI. — arkansasonline.com, 23 Mar. 2025 The menu covers all the bases, from classics like waffles and benedicts to unique offerings like berry quinoa and smothered brie. — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bases
  1. grounds
  2. foundations
  3. camps
  4. capitals
  5. bottoms
  6. cornerstones
  7. rests
  8. bedrocks
Verb
  • This shift grounds me in my value and elevates my networking skills instantly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Book any balloon flight for the first morning of your stay, and if weather grounds it, that leaves some possibility of being moved to a subsequent day.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of grounds
Noun
  • Spanning automotive, steel, and agriculture, as well as government procurement, market access, and the future architecture of North American trade rules, the confrontation is now touching the deepest foundations of their economic relationship.
    — , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • During three seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur said McVay established strong foundations but also used his tireless energy to encourage assistants to tear down tried-and-true concepts and build them back, sparking innovation.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of foundations
Noun
  • Interceptions were more frequent than in previous training camps, but, like the one with Moore, some involved the new wideouts fine-tuning their routes.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Chop Robinson and Josh Uche had solid camps and should become the starters.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of camps
Noun
  • The meetings appeared to produce no substantial breakthrough on ending the fighting, and both countries resumed their deadly air war after a weekend truce in their capitals for the American visitors.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Russia and Ukraine had agreed to pause attacks on each other’s capitals for the duration of the weekend of diplomacy, which came after months without significant progress toward resolution.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of capitals
Noun
  • Gap even takes things up a notch by swathing certain Five-Pocket selections in vegan suede and multiple shades of canvas — effectively nodding to its other beloved bottoms options.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Easy On / Easy Off, Healing and Recovery, Sensory-Considered, and Flexible Fit (though shoppers can also simply sort by traditional filters such as ‘tops’ and ‘bottoms’).
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of bottoms
Noun
  • One of the cornerstones of the Boise State football program is finding underrated talent from across the Gem State and turning those players into starters and even all-conference performers.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In the months that followed, the Mets bid farewell to franchise cornerstones Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and — despite trying to retain him — closer Edwin Diaz.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of cornerstones
Verb
  • The National Academy of Sciences in 2003, and the American Psychological Association in a 2004 review, concluded that the polygraph rests more on theater than fact.
    — Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Ultra 4's entire value proposition rests on its battery life.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of rests
Noun
  • The costs of health insurance are pushing small businesses — beloved by politicians and the bedrocks of entire communities — to a financial cliff.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 7 July 2026
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton also reflect on the bedrocks of our democracy, including the Electoral College and the peaceful transfer of power.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 June 2026
Definition of bedrocks

Browse Nearby Words

baseness
bases
bash
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Cite this Entry

“Bases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bases. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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