belongs

verb

present tense third-person singular of belong
1
as in goes
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

Relevance
2
as in pertains
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 belongs The scholarship suggests that statelessness is less an administrative oversight than a consequence of the ways states define who belongs. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 24 July 2026 The only other movie that belongs in the conversation is Project Hail Mary. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Which evening workouts pair best with better sleep Not every workout belongs in the wind-down window. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026 The grander vision of infrastructure becoming as legible as a credit score belongs in the future tense. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 The painting broadens the idea of who belongs in the story of American abstraction, according to Galpin. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 Rangy athleticism Penn State is known for producing freakish athletes, and Rojas belongs in that conversation. — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 23 July 2026 The freedom of a solo game day The best part of showing up alone is that the day belongs entirely to you. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026 The meal becomes an experience that belongs entirely to the individual. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belongs
  1. goes
  2. pertains
  3. stays
Verb
  • Just a little goes a long way with these picks, so snag mini bottles to discover what deserves real estate in your vanity.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 25 July 2026
  • Chris Dowling’s film is earnest in its attempt to extract specifically Christian life lessons from a familiar tale of manchildren forced into growing up, and goes pretty light on the Bible-bashing relative to others in its cinematic church.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of goes
Verb
  • Among some of the topics of conversation were the Mustangs' bevy of offensive and defensive coordinators as well as the parity within the conference and how that pertains to the College Football Playoff picture.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026
  • Starting next month, the law will prohibit the sale of any food product that isn’t labeled with either phrase — this pertains to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of pertains
Verb
  • Every detail, from private transfers and pre- or post-cruise stays to exclusive local experiences, is thoughtfully arranged to create a seamless journey from beginning to end.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 24 July 2026
  • Briceno suggests decanting only a small amount onto a clean palette and closing the jar immediately so the texture stays consistent.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026
Definition of stays

Browse Nearby Words

belongings
belongs
beloved
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Belongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belongs. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on belongs

Nglish: Translation of belongs for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All