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
Michaela Zee, Variety, 8 Mar. 2026
All About Eve got best picture; as many will remember, thanks to #Envelopegate, La La Land did not.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026
Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Foegele, 29, had the best season of his career in his first year as a King, with personal bests in goals, assists, points and plus-minus rating.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Woodland Hills’ temperature peaked at 100, besting a temperature of 92 degrees in 1997.
—City News Service, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for best
Adjective
All three shows also received best new series nominations.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 8 Mar. 2026
All About Eve got best picture; as many will remember, thanks to #Envelopegate, La La Land did not.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
Nahshon Wright, Chicago Wright, 27, is a five-year veteran who made the Pro Bowl last season after having career bests in starts (16), interceptions (five, one returned for a touchdown), passes defended (11) and tackles (80).
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Foegele, 29, had the best season of his career in his first year as a King, with personal bests in goals, assists, points and plus-minus rating.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Phoenix soared to 102 degrees on Tuesday, easily besting its previous March record of 100 degrees.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Woodland Hills’ temperature peaked at 100, besting a temperature of 92 degrees in 1997.
—City News Service, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for best
Recent Examples of Synonyms for best
Noun
-
Cord grass ripples across these languorous northern marshes and, while ships lay wounded and stranded in the former Aral, all that remains of the old Parkgate are some very old photographs, showing frigates, sand, and some very fetching Victorian bathing attire.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
-
No trails or roads are visible inside the frame, adding to the mystery of how all these people in formal attire arrived at an elevation of ten thousand six hundred feet.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Then there was an urban-rural divide, the urban elite versus the rural majority in the country.—
John Shattuck,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a darling of the Silicon Valley tech elite, polled at 3%.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The ballet flat silhouette is stylish.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Set in a secluded Catalonian villa, the irksomely stylish story centers on a rich family living in insulated excess until an outsider disrupts their precarious peace.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And in 1929 Chanel designed costumes for Apollon Musagète dancers, whose tunics were belted with Charvet ties.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
24 Mar. 2026
-
One can already picture her van packed to the brim with trampolines, inflatable dolphins, pig masks, Pierrot-esque clown costumes, and one of those rainbow parachutes from elementary school gym class.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After Allegiance pushed across two runs in the top of the sixth, Grace Prep used singles by Liam Jaime and Buchanan with three walks that produced three runs and the game was called.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Read on for the top 10 in descending order.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Argyle defeated Abilene Wylie 2-0 on Friday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
And the Marlins would defeat one of the worst teams in the history of baseball, the Colorado Rockies, 2-1.—
Greg Cote
Updated March 27,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Depending on the combination, this creates either a clean, almost futuristic appeal or a soft, elegant look.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Van Beirendonck gravitates toward loud prints in bright colors and allusions to BDSM, whereas Van Saene makes elegant cocktail dresses for women with bow details and shrunken cardigans.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Minor acts of bravery mean a lot right now.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The jury saw the truth and recognized the bravery Donna showed in standing up for herself.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Best.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/best. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
