as in donor
one that helps another with gifts or money
an anonymous benefactor gave the school a dozen new computers
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Recent Examples of benefactor
Additionally, these revenue-sharing numbers don’t include third-party NIL payments, which can provide a significant advantage to schools with a large alumni base — or with wealthy benefactors, which has been the case at Oregon (Phil Knight) and Indiana (Mark Cuban), for instance.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
PragerU has received major funding from hard-right benefactors, including Betsy DeVos’s family foundation and the billionaire fracking brothers Dan and Farris Wilks.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
The pompous clergyman enters the life of the Bennet family, his distant cousins, with the assumption that, given his respectable position and benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, one of those daughters would be happy to marry him.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Robin, a youthful gay choreographer, and Lazzara, his paternalistic old-school benefactor, perhaps made an odd professional couple in the 1990s.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
PragerU has received major funding from hard-right benefactors, including Betsy DeVos’s family foundation and the billionaire fracking brothers Dan and Farris Wilks.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
The pompous clergyman enters the life of the Bennet family, his distant cousins, with the assumption that, given his respectable position and benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, one of those daughters would be happy to marry him.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Robin, a youthful gay choreographer, and Lazzara, his paternalistic old-school benefactor, perhaps made an odd professional couple in the 1990s.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benefactor
Noun
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According to a source in the room, there were about 250 members of the donor community at the event, which cost at least $100,000 per person to attend.—
Gabe Kaminsky,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Presidential libraries are one of the few ways sitting presidents can solicit foreign donations — without ever having to disclose their donors.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That’s the gold standard of cancer designations that allows patients and donators alike to understand Sylvester’s standards.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
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While Paytas’ Big Broadway Dream quickly sold out the St. James Theatre, donations of $5 to $25 to the Fund enters donators will be entered for a chance to win a front row pair of tickets.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benefactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benefactor. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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