bid 1 of 2

as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something a dramatic film that is widely regarded as the comedian's last-ditch bid to be taken seriously as an actor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bid

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to invite
to request the presence or participation of as company president, I bid you all to come to our annual holiday party!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bid are charge, command, direct, enjoin, instruct, and order. While all these words mean "to issue orders," bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

How do charge and enjoin relate to one another, in the sense of bid?

Charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

How are the words command and order related as synonyms of bid?

Both command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality; command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

How does the word direct relate to its synonym instruct, in the sense of bid?

Direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality.

directed her assistant to hold all calls
the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark

When can enjoin be used instead of bid?

While the synonyms enjoin and bid are close in meaning, enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

When might order be a better fit than bid?

The words order and bid can be used in similar contexts, but order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about like slaves

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 bid
Noun
As a result, Baltimore’s bid to reach the playoffs for the third year in a row looks bleak. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025 But Scolari did not identify the individuals who would be supporting the bid. David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Verb
Five companies collectively bid $751.1 million in December 2022 to win the leases to build wind farms off the coasts of Morro Bay in Central California and Humboldt Bay in Northern California. Rob Nikolewski, Mercury News, 8 May 2025 These contracts, which are often not put out to bid, have raised questions of whether individual charter schools are getting the best deal for their money or have control over their own programs. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bid
Noun
  • Cardinale and his team have long chased the Telegraph, but an earlier an earlier attempt to buy it through All3Media owner RedBird IMI, which is majority controlled out of the Middle East, was blocked by the Conservative Party.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 May 2025
  • His attempt to turn the briefing into a public-relations coup—and to trade on his reputation as a deft negotiator has collapsed.
    Sizwe Mpofu Walsh, Time, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Then, in a December 2023 decision, in a partial redo of that arbitration, Arbitrator Roger Kaplan ordered France to pay Bernstein $810,846.67, including $450,000 in punitive damages for his conduct.
    Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • Bronx Criminal Court Judge Audrey Stone on Wednesday ordered that Jeremy Cortorreal spend the next two decades behind bars for killing Lisette Gomez back on March 21, 2023.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • As a rising star at UCLA in 1967, he was personally invited by NFL Browns football star Jim Brown to participate in the Cleveland Summit.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • Suarez’s office did not directly respond to questions asking who invited him or the purpose of his trip.
    Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Not even an approximate 40-foot fall and sustained injuries on her third try in 2019 deterred her from forging ahead with her goal — rather, the scary slip was just a stepping stone in her personal journey to achieving her dreams.
    Skyler Caruso, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Around 2016, after a particularly painful breakup, the Body Work author decided to do something radical: give up on dating and give celibacy a try.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • But the Woodville Independent School District (ISD) confirmed after the Monday, May 19, incident, he was instructed not to return to campus.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem instructed her department on Thursday to terminate Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • That’s the question writer-director Ari Aster’s somber comedy-Western Eddington, playing in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival, appears to be asking.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 May 2025
  • Here's why Cassie said Combs threatened to 'blow up' Kid Cudi's car During cross-examination, Ventura Fine was asked about her relationship with rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo told reporters she was caught off guard by the news, and has asked the prosecutor's office to ask the U.S. Department of Justice for more information.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Norman was allegedly dragged about a half-mile up the road before he was eventually ejected from the vehicle, the police told the outlets.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bid. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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