café

noun

ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
variants also cafe
Definition of cafénext
1
as in cabaret
a bar or restaurant offering special nighttime entertainment (as music, dancing, or comedy acts) the café presents nationally known jazz performers in an intimate setting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in tavern
a place of business where alcoholic beverages are sold to be consumed on the premises a speakeasy that became a fashionable café with the repeal of prohibition

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in restaurant
a public establishment where meals are served to paying customers for consumption on the premises they met at a little café in Paris

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 café This week in Atlanta, kick off Black Restaurant Week with a special dinner at Oreatha’s at the Point, enjoy an Italian wine dinner and celebrate the grand opening of a popular chai cafe. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Walking just a few streets away from the square reveals quieter courtyards, small cafes and shops that feel less staged. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Residents were also encouraged to interact with the presentation by selecting their preferred architectural styles for the municipal and residential buildings, as well as for the shops, cafe, and open space. — Elizabeth Owens-Schiele, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 The Pleasant Hill location also will feature a separate counter for Lever Coffee, a version of the artisan cafe and bakery in Alamo that Heaps also owns. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for café
Recent Examples of Synonyms for café
  1. cabaret
  2. tavern
  3. restaurant
  4. nightclub
  5. saloon
  6. diner
  7. club
  8. pub
Noun
  • Santoro was inspired to launch the project after following his friend Timothy Reif’s decade-long effort to locate artworks that had been stolen from his ancestor, a Jewish Austrian cabaret star.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 31 July 2026
  • Cohen honed her act at the forefront of a clique of comedians who performed cabaret comedy, often at Club Cumming, in the late 2010s.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Definition of cabaret
Noun
  • The Lantern tavern threw the first iteration of the block party in 2016 as a celebration for its 50th anniversary.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Customers are family as well, some even choosing the tavern as their final resting place.
    — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tavern
Noun
  • After health officials traced the outbreak to lettuce from Taylor Farms’ central Mexico location, the company missed a federal deadline to recall lettuce that had been distributed to stores and restaurants, Bloomberg News reported.
    — Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • However, the bar and restaurant serves its cheesesteaks differently than most places in the Delaware Valley.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of restaurant
Noun
  • That includes after a mass shooting at the 2024 Super Bowl celebration rally, multiple shootings at and around nightclubs and the recent shootings along Interstate 70 last month.
    — Laura Bauer July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • Once better known for railway platforms and nightclubs than research labs, the district has evolved into one of Europe's densest concentrations of AI talent, anchored by Google and Google DeepMind, with Anthropic and OpenAI preparing to join them.
    — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of nightclub
Noun
  • The saloon underwent construction over subsequent decades as the area grew; the joint has been called The Buffalo Rose since 1981.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 July 2026
  • The area was once home to Frontier City and Stagecoach Stop, roadside attractions that had a bank, blacksmith, general store, jailhouse, livery stable and saloon, all popular establishments featured in popular Western films.
    — JANELLE D. JAMES, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of saloon
Noun
  • Some diners noticed that the knives had other uses — picking teeth, for example, and settling arguments.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • These chains are capturing market share from longtime value stalwarts, while traditional fast-food diners are increasingly declining to eat out at all.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of diner
Noun
  • Whether Castillo and Gausman can return to form and help their respective clubs get deep into October will be a primary storyline here the rest of the year.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Yes—there’s a kids club with a ping-pong table, foosball, and arts and crafts at the sister property.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of club
Noun
  • Happy Donuts closed in 2022 after 20 years, while the Elder Tree pub closed in 2024 after a dozen years.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Royal Oak pub, a true local favorite, is a four-minute walk down the lane.
    — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of pub

Browse Nearby Words

caesuras
café
cafés
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All