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as in expense
a payment made in the course of achieving a result the charges mounted at a dizzying pace as the building project went way over budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

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charge

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verb

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as in to ask
to set or receive as a price any shop would charge $100 to repair that thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to task
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to we're charging you with the care of your little sister while we're gone for the evening

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb charge contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of charge are bid, command, direct, enjoin, instruct, and order. While all these words mean "to issue orders," charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

When is bid a more appropriate choice than charge?

While in some cases nearly identical to charge, bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

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

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 do direct and instruct relate to one another, in the sense of charge?

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 would enjoin be a good substitute for charge?

The meanings of enjoin and charge largely overlap; however, enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

In what contexts can order take the place of charge?

The synonyms order and charge are sometimes interchangeable, 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 charge
Noun
The deputy noted Van Horn’s occupation in the probable cause statement supporting the charge. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025 The Boston College case came to light only after mobster Henry Hill (of Goodfellas fame) confessed after he was arrested on drug charges and entered witness protection. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Parias been charged with assault on a federal officer, according to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025 So far, no information has been disclosed that clearly links the man charged with Kirk's killing to leftist groups or movements. NPR, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for charge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charge
Noun
  • Morelli also corresponded with the man obtaining the videos for him and asked that the torture of the animals be prolonged in subsequent videos, according to a copy of the indictment filed in the case and obtained by PEOPLE.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • An Illinois Democratic congressional candidate posted video to social media that appears to depict events described in a federal indictment accusing her of impeding Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
    Michael Ruiz , Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The mission will continue in your honor.
    Charmaine Patterson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Each foundation must define its mission, yet there is real potential for philanthropy to act as a catalyst for creative financing.
    Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In Uttar Pradesh, a development initiative provided community health workers with a smartphone app that combined diagnostic and treatment instructions with a client-management program.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Customers can tap their phones to the bag’s logo to access brand videos, authentication verification, care instructions, and personalized questionnaires.
    Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Traditionally, one of the key justifications for teamwork has been its psychological benefits—the energy that comes from collaboration, the reduced stress of shared responsibility, the excitement of building on each other’s ideas.
    François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Silva deserves credit for trusting an 18-year-old to shoulder the responsibility, even when King has shown his inexperience.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Real war introduces deception, saturation attacks and human failures.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The worker forced the child onto a bed during the attack, and the child’s head struck the edge of the bed and suffered a 2-centimeter laceration, per the statement.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That's how people buy aviation—safety and cost.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Daylight saving time was introduced in the United States in 1918 with the Standard Time Act, which was meant to lower fuel costs during the First World War.
    Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With the symptoms of climate crisis increasingly felt by people and businesses, including those within the art world, the Fondation Beyeler is making a statement by putting ecological stewardship on par with artistic curation.
    Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The Buss family's association with the Lakers dates back to Jerry Buss's purchase of the team in 1979, a stewardship that transformed the franchise into one of the biggest brands in professional sports across the globe.
    Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Mark Blinch / Getty Images In the ninth inning of a Game 1 romp, fans at Rogers Centre had some fun at Shohei Ohtani’s expense.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Donations will go toward assisting the Sullivan family with funeral expenses and the recovery process.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Charge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charge. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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