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

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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 For so long, this strange and beautiful world belonged only to those of us fortunate enough to wander through it together. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 Attorneys for Local 42 had argued the jobs were not supervisory positions and therefore belonged in its bargaining unit rather than the supervisors’ union. Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026 And even before laying a brick, the robots had to understand their precise position, interpret building plans and determine where each wall and opening belonged. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026 The question no longer belonged only to me, but to everyone in the room. Octavia McBride-Ahebee, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 Lower barriers to entry mean talented professionals and smaller businesses have opportunities that previously belonged almost exclusively to large organizations with substantial marketing resources. Matteo Pittaluga, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 That gap is at least part of why frustration that belonged elsewhere landed on us in New Orleans. Charles "chuck" Henderson, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 This column belonged on the front page of the Perspective section of the Sunday Denver Post. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2026 Corporate purpose has always belonged—and still belongs—across the political divide. Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonged
Verb
  • Even the odd chance to counter-attack went badly wrong — summed up by the sight of Ouattara almost knocking over team-mate Mikkel Damsgaard with a wayward pass.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • After that, Brown went silent, not answering any of Redding’s phone calls or text messages.
    Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The district has not confirmed nor denied previous reporting from WSOC-TV that the investigation pertained to contracts with some of Hill’s former colleagues.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Even with an over route that, under very few scenarios becomes part of the progression, Moore should have stayed full throttle and recognized the leverage in the secondary to flatten his route.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Kids of mixed ages organized their own games and made up their own rules, while adults stayed mostly on the sidelines or stayed away entirely.
    Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Rams placed a bet that flying in the day before an Australian game in order to not change body clocks could have them at their best.
    Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Kirby applied his theory most prominently in June 2021, when United placed the largest aircraft order in its history, even as its passenger numbers remained far below pre-pandemic levels.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Belonged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonged. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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