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Definition of carenext
1
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as in concern
attention accompanied by protectiveness and responsibility that's an extremely valuable violin, so handle it with care

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something while you're under my care, you'll do as you're told

Synonyms & Similar Words

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care

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verb

as in to watch
to have an interest or concern for a teacher who cares what happens to her students long after they leave her classroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word care distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of care are anxiety, concern, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can anxiety be used instead of care?

The meanings of anxiety and care largely overlap; however, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

When might concern be a better fit than care?

While in some cases nearly identical to care, concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When would solicitude be a good substitute for care?

Although the words solicitude and care have much in common, solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

Where would worry be a reasonable alternative to care?

The words worry and care are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

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 care
Noun
Health care spending in California has nearly doubled in the past seven years. Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Providers who have already screened, counseled, and prepared patients for care may have to stop midstream, potentially unable to complete treatment plans that were set in motion days earlier. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Verb
In most cases, children are not being harmed because their parents don’t care. Jewel Photopolus, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 Instead, as Quick reported, Dundon has already been canvassing the basketball world for Splitter’s possible replacement while clearly not caring about the awful optics. Sam Amick, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for care
Recent Examples of Synonyms for care
Noun
  • As the Moon moves into Capricorn this afternoon, attention shifts toward what works, what needs structure, and what can hold up over time.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2026
  • False alarms present a challenge, which can be costly in terms of time and attention, said Patrick Roberts, a senior researcher with the nonprofit research group Rand who recently finished a project on accelerating innovation in wildfire management.
    Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • While there have been no reports of illness, authorities urge people to contact a health care provider for any concerns.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
  • Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the HHS, which oversees the FDA, said the studies were pulled over concerns about their conclusions.
    Padmanabhan Ananthan, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • There was no carefulness in it.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
  • Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.
    Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • At the macro scale of society, loss of control seems like a legitimate reason for worry.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
  • Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.
    Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • After Navarro filed a complaint alleging the work had been wrongly kept from her, a Madrid judge, acting with the support of prosecutors, ordered Spain’s Ministry of Culture to take custody of it citing its potential importance to the country’s historical heritage.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
  • How Talley had access to the gun after being in the custody of officers and subject to a metal-detecting search by hospital personnel remains mysterious.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Robinson was among 425 volunteers spreading out from four different locations on Saturday throughout Waukegan, removing trash from the lakefront, the city’s downtown and its neighborhoods, ending eight days of active environmental stewardship during the city’s fifth-annual Earth Week cleanup.
    Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Public lands are managed for restoration, habitat conservation, recreation and long-term stewardship — outcomes that often require full ownership.
    Susan Carr, Sun Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Breaking Barriers met or exceeded most benchmarks set by the California Board of State and Community Corrections, including goals for referrals, case management, employment placements and housing assistance, according to the research.
    City News Service, Daily News, 2 May 2026
  • Taking the time to research and select roses for our gardens that are disease resistant and not susceptible hosts is our best management tool.
    Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • The hair loss from GLP-1s is one of the most significant side effects that the beauty industry is watching, according to Audrey Depraeter-Montacel, Accenture's global beauty industry lead.
    Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 2 May 2026
  • Want to sip margaritas and watch chihuahuas race for glory?
    Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 1 May 2026

Cite this Entry

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/care. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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