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Definition of checknext
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as in bill
the amount owed at a bar or restaurant or the slip of paper stating the amount diners at that temple of gastronomy often look shocked when they receive the check

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as in statement
a record of goods sold or services performed together with the costs due request a detailed check from the company before sending any money

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4
as in ticket
a small sheet of plastic, paper, or paperboard showing that the bearer has a claim to something (as admittance) handed over a check for his coat

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5
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice the judiciary is intended to be a check on the executive and legislative branches of government

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in fissure
an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure the network of fine checks on the surface would indicate that the painting is quite old

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb check contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of check are bridle, curb, and restrain. While all these words mean "to hold back from or control in doing something," check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity, or impetus.

trying to check government spending

In what contexts can bridle take the place of check?

While in some cases nearly identical to check, bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding in.

bridle an impulse to throw the book down

When can curb be used instead of check?

Although the words curb and check have much in common, curb suggests an abrupt or drastic checking.

learn to curb your appetite

Where would restrain be a reasonable alternative to check?

In some situations, the words restrain and check are roughly equivalent. However, restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion from acting or from going to extremes.

restrained themselves from laughing

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 check
Noun
Around the time the post went up, Shawnee police also conducted a wellness check at Sanders’ home. Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 Weak laws and weaker willpower A recent Gallup poll found the majority of Americans, 56% to 58%, want stricter gun laws, while measures like background checks has close to 90% support in both parties, per Pew. Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
With its open kitchen, family room and sunroom that opened onto a deck, the four-bedroom, $460,000 condo in the nearby suburb of Hudsonville checked every box. Emily Elconin For Cnn, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 An Instagram post on May 17 from Sanders said the bar owner checked himself into a facility after a suicide attempt. Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for check
Recent Examples of Synonyms for check
Noun
  • Know More Republican leaders are preparing for Democratic opponents of the college sports bill to dig in, dragging out the rest of the schedule.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • States United bills itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to the rule of law and free, fair, secure elections.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The company must notify the NRC when the excavation is open for inspection.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Would there be more players in these industries if there were fewer government safety rules and inspection regimes?
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Bengals president Mike Brown issued a statement backing both Taylor and Tobin days after the season.
    Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The department is aware changes are in store for the program, Lesnick said in a statement late last month.
    Jada Robison, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The larger lesson is to treat reviews as part of the organization’s public record rather than simply another customer service ticket to close.
    Evan Nierman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Spirit’s archive could supply ingredients for such tasks, for example, an IT ticket linked to a Teams discussion, a code change and an operational result.
    Wen Shao, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The court ruled late Monday in an emergency order that the restrictions would most likely lose in court, at least for this year's election.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Chinese authorities imposed new restrictions on foreign travel in order to stop cutting-edge technology and top-flight researchers from leaving, taking a step closer to a regime that had characterized a more closed-off China of decades past.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Groundwater steadily rises through fissures in the limestone bedrock, providing the spring with a constant flow of pristine water.
    Savannah Born, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Allegations expose fissures within SEIU Two law firms conducted separate investigations into Regan’s behavior at SEIU California, an umbrella group consisting of 17 local service unions.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The motions precede understanding as the lines perpetually reverse, halt, and cascade toward discovery—more scar, than solution.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Ultimately, Cramer said his conversations at Dreamforce left him confident the industry has time to address AI’s risks without bringing development to a halt.
    Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In November 2024, for instance, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a policy banning transgender people from using some Capitol restrooms that do not correspond with their gender at birth.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • To construct this curve, experts formed a cross section of objects in higher dimensions, the boundary of which corresponds to the elliptic curve.
    Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Check.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/check. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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