1
as in intimacy
the state of being in a very personal or private relationship
the warm welcome they received from the community gave them a sense of belonging
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in possession
belongings plural
transportable items that one owns
packed up all their belongings and moved across the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staying
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
2
as in pertaining
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.
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Recent Examples of belonging
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
The design features layered symbolism meant to challenge viewers to think critically about identity and belonging.
—Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Many students turn to alcohol and other substances to manage stress, reduce anxiety and navigate social belonging in environments where substance use is often normalized – or even expected.
—Beverly Kingston, The Conversation, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for belonging
Noun
Drawing on generations of Chinatown family lore and silences, See turns China City’s vanished streets and her ancestors’ immigrant gambles into a historical fiction layered with stories of survival and belonging.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
The design features layered symbolism meant to challenge viewers to think critically about identity and belonging.
—Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Verb
But proximity isn’t the same as belonging.
—Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Many students turn to alcohol and other substances to manage stress, reduce anxiety and navigate social belonging in environments where substance use is often normalized – or even expected.
—Beverly Kingston, The Conversation, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for belonging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonging
Noun
-
Nevertheless, plenty of kitchens that did make the cut share that same intimacy, with artful, unfussy cooking; even the handful of tasting-menu spots revealed a softer, lighter side of fine dining.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
16 June 2026
-
For midlife women, those goals may include staying well enough to work, caring for children or aging parents, preserving intimacy, managing menopause symptoms, minimizing time away from home, protecting long-term health or reducing the chance of recurrence as much as possible.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Multiple possession swings gave the Japanese some threats in the box, but the Samurai Blue couldn’t find the back of the net, leading to a 0-0 score at the break.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
Angel Reese made sure Atlanta had enough possessions to make that run happen.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The challenge for Beckham will be staying healthy during a rigorous training camp after being out of the league for over a year.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
That was a fun one, with both teams staying aggressive throughout the match.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
There are more important things pertaining to the party to worry about than that.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
While the Justice Department has released a slew of files, some have been pushed back, prompting Democrats to insist the department has not complied with a law passed by Congress last year requiring the release of all documents pertaining to Epstein.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Its earliest iteration can be traced back to the 1870s, when Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop—best known for patenting the pneumatic tire—made good on his familiarity with rubber to design a low-top canvas shoe with a vulcanized rubber sole.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
15 June 2026
-
Booking a hotel in your own town pairs the familiarity of being close to home with the luxury of someone else making the beds.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
And as things like broadcast quality and stadium design become more and more homogenised, making every tournament look more and more similar, kit design is more and more important to their visual identity.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Some things — Shar Peis, linen pants, prunes — are just supposed to have wrinkles.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Why should Miami pay a bonus for things not going well?—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
But to style it for everyday, opt for going with a mix of colors to keep things from looking too formal.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
But pretty soon the two interlopers into this small, grudge-holding but tight-knit community — the kind where, going back generations, everybody not only knows but is mightily resentful of everyone else’s business — develop a kind of outsider kinship.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
Cramped passengers are ruled not by bonhomie but by hair-trigger aggression, while flight crews seek compliance rather than kinship.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonging. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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