belonged

Definition of belongednext
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 Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti belonged decisively to the latter. Obi Asika, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026 My time belonged entirely to me, and the constant motion was both exciting and reassuring. Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026 One sound belonged 200 miles away at the Grand Ole Opry. Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 Her central downtown location, which is around the block from the Camden County Police Department, protects some of the children who, at one point, belonged in gangs. Brandon Goldner, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026 Through archival footage, interviews and his own reflective narration, the film traces a life spent insisting that gay experience belonged not in code but in full daylight. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026 For most of its history, the Metropolitan Opera didn’t think Black women belonged on its stage. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 8 Jan. 2026 The Qurans chosen by Mamdani belonged respectively to his grandfather and Arturo Schomburg, the Black writer and historian, according to The New York Times. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026 By the evening, Amber, Mario and all four of their children—14, 12, 9, and 5—had met him, each one instantly certain that Bruno belonged with them. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonged
Verb
  • Days after Guthrie went missing, TMZ was among the first to report on an initial note demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin for her safe return.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Mathurin, acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, was 12 for 22 from the field, while Leonard went eight for 18 and scored at least 20 points for the 34th consecutive game.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Notably, that case pertained to inland Lake Winnebago.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Prosecutors have argued the Altoona police officers were justified in searching the bag because the search pertained to a lawful arrest.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Pascal’s eldest siblings, Javiera and Pedro, stayed back in the US.
    José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
  • In the rest of the photos, Kardashian was back to her signature brunette, though her favorite super-short, neutral nails stayed consistent.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The first step requires Ilana to change into a robe, undressing on top of pads placed on the floor so each item of clothing can be packaged into separate bags and collected as evidence.
    Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Belonged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonged. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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