1
as in attire
dressy clothing
the family wore their best to the wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in elite
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
only the best will go on to the finals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to worst
to achieve a victory over
at last she's bested her card-playing mother at the game of hearts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 best
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The film picked up a total of five awards at the ceremony, including best picture, best director, original screenplay and editing.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2025
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Tuesday afternoon, on the first day of men’s trade show Pitti Uomo, around 180 menswear aficionados, influencers and industry insiders paraded through the streets of Florence in their Sunday best.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
His teammates rallied behind him — including Sakamoto, men’s short program winner Yuma Kagiyama (who bested Malinin with a truly exceptional showing) and pairs favorites Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara — commending the rock solid performance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for best
Adjective
The architects will be tasked with bringing best practice to any plans, be that working on seat size, stand gradients, or removing the roof to form an extra tier.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The film picked up a total of five awards at the ceremony, including best picture, best director, original screenplay and editing.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
His Colorado tenure yielded 10 goals and six assists across three seasons, including career bests of five goals and three assists in 2025.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Tuesday afternoon, on the first day of men’s trade show Pitti Uomo, around 180 menswear aficionados, influencers and industry insiders paraded through the streets of Florence in their Sunday best.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
McBath bested Bourdeaux in the primary and easily won the general election that November.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
His teammates rallied behind him — including Sakamoto, men’s short program winner Yuma Kagiyama (who bested Malinin with a truly exceptional showing) and pairs favorites Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara — commending the rock solid performance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for best
Recent Examples of Synonyms for best
Noun
-
Some people, especially those who love dark colors, prefer winter attire, what with all the cable knit, cashmere, and wool sweaters out there, and those often comes in navies, charcoals, blacks, and burgundies.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Filling the space formerly occupied by Soft Surroundings, the clothing and accessory retailer, featuring items for women, men and girls, is known for attire ideal for a tropical vacation or resort.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Schnitzer was also closely connected to Israel’s political and intelligence elite.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But Wasserman is the rare case of a wealthy, renown American elite whose empire is crumbling under calls for accountability from the public, local lawmakers and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The stylish motel came under new ownership in 2025, now operated by a hospitality group with experience in real estate, finance, and art.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
For more of the most stylish ways to hide clutter in your kitchen, check out our favorites below.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wearing a costume or masking oneself is an integral part of the Mardi Gras experience in both New Orleans and Cajun country.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Their Fat Tuesday tradition is to walk through the French Quarter and admire people’s intricate and outrageous costumes.—
Sara Cline,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The team found that the temperatures peak between 3,000 and 4,000 kilometres above the cloud tops, whilst ion densities reach their maximum around 1,000 kilometres.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
-
At least one thing is certain about the playoffs — the Mission League is tops.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame defeated Corona Centennial 59-56.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
That particular corner was filled with pink shirts and defeated faces, and Salloi stood in front of them, fingers in the corners of his mouth, drawing his smile wide like the Joker.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Come evening, the space becomes an elegant bar, pouring a shortlist of signature cocktails inspired by the neighborhood.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
On the contrary, a living room is a formal room, classically appointed with elegant furnishings—and there’s rarely a television in sight.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Without your bravery and persistence, this new day would not have dawned.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Perhaps this was a mid-life crisis masquerading as bravery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Best.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/best. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
