1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

bonding 1 of 2

noun

ˈbän-diŋ How to pronounce bonding (audio)
Definition of bondingnext
as in adhesion
a physical sticking to as if by glue this epoxy has good bonding for glass and ceramics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bonding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bond
as in communing
to form a close personal relationship a man attempting to bond with his new and mistrustful stepson

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 bonding
Noun
Some companies create employee bonding activities — everything from intermural sports teams to the infamous lounge areas at Google to entice employees to build rapport with one another. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2026 Flit can mill ultra-precise, nested male-to-female sleeve joints required for adhesive bonding with a 1mm tolerance. — New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
Why Baking Sheets Turn Brown and Sticky Oils and fats polymerize at high heat, bonding into a dark, sticky layer on the baking sheet. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, there’s a chance Indy is bonding with all the drama around this team, from Sophie Cunningham getting clotheslined to her public commentary about transgender people playing women's sports, and anything involving Clark. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bonding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonding
  1. adhesion
  2. communing
  3. cling
  4. relating
  5. adherence
Noun
  • Sandwiched between them, a soft PDMS layer acts as a viscoelastic nano-spring, balancing adhesion forces so the electrodes can move reversibly without permanently sticking.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Common problems include bubbles, trimming errors, poor adhesion from dirty glass, confusion over backing liners and peeling after repositioning.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of adhesion
Verb
  • Trotz believes these hues are never going away because people always want to be communing with nature.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Even so, in a digital world increasingly impacted by algorithms and all manner of AI, the allure of performers and music fans communing — live and in real time — cannot be underestimated.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of communing
Noun
  • Visit your local dollar store and pick up window clings, candle holders and more to decorate the house.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Which trace from our Galois representation clings to each of these terms with prime exponents depends on how our equation, , behaves in a number field defined by that particular prime.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of cling
Verb
  • The incentive would allow a 35% to 50% credit on qualified expenses relating specifically to post-production in California.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Relationship science draws a useful line here between two ways of relating.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of relating
Noun
  • Overall, the Bush administration’s misguided foray reinforced in the minds of many in the Middle East a distrust of America’s allegiances, commitments, and adherence to the protocols of the Geneva Conventions, a distrust that persists to this day.
    — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Catering to the Volume, Not the Power User From a purely capitalistic standpoint, power users who demand high literacy, strict prompt adherence, and investigative rigor represent a tiny fraction of Google's user base.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of adherence

Browse Nearby Words

bonded
bonding
bondman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bonding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonding. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bonding

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bonding

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 elegiac

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All