belonged

past tense of belong
1
as in went
to have or be in a usual or proper place your shoes belong in the closet, not in the middle of the living room where people will trip on them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in pertained
to be the property of a person or group of persons those textbooks belong to the school system and not to the students

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 belonged By then, the question of whether Arendt belonged chiefly to German or American intellectual life mattered less than the interplay in her soul between the two. David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 The March filing asks a federal judge to send the lawsuit back to Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, arguing that the case never belonged in federal court. Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 Just a few years ago, finance leaders were still debating whether AI belonged in the finance function. Terrence McCrossan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party to which Widdecombe belonged, said staff had searched party emails to check for patterns of abuse directed at her, but had not found anything. Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Messi beat Balenziaga twice, as well as three other Athletic players, during a crazy dribble that belonged in a school playground, not a cup final. Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026 Local 42, which represents most fire department employees, argued the jobs were not supervisory positions and therefore belonged in its bargaining unit rather than the supervisors’ union. Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026 For both the collector and the curator, there was never any doubt where that exhibition belonged. Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026 Rich wood grain and thoughtful craftsmanship give it the look of a piece that has always belonged in your living room. Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonged
Verb
  • At the beginning of the year, some volunteers within Coppell ISD went door-to-door to recruit and keep students in public education.
    Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The 22-year-old went from playing in the fourth tier of English football to getting an unexpected call from national team head coach Sarina Wiegman.
    Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Both pertained to the same player in a way that had some believing there could be an easy out to fill out a Heat roster thinned by the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The first had to do with his schedule and the second pertained to his social status.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • Báez stayed patient in his second at-bat, driving Boyd’s changeup into the left-field bleachers for a solo homer in the fourth inning.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Chicago’s eighth grade reading scores stayed flat, a useful reminder that no reform lifts performance evenly.
    Michael Casserly, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • One officer has been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation continues.
    Marissa Armas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of the Carabinieri, the national gendarmerie of Italy, found the works in an apartment in Parma; nine Moldovan nationals have since been placed under investigation.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Belonged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonged. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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