as in friends
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
college chums who go way back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in associates
to come or be together as friends
they always chum around together
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 chums
David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Apr. 2026
Now, Byfield and chums are hitting their stride at the right moment.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The other thing is this is not just a group of Khan’s chums.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The passing of his striking mother at age 35 from breast cancer, a woman who attracted many of his elementary school chums to vie for a spot in her carpool, devastated a young Felder at the dawn of his teen years.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
The shot was redirected home by Marchment, ingratiating him with his new chums.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
The two got on famously, and have been chums ever since.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
In this entry, the third of the series, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his chums at a children’s finishing school for magicians called Hogwarts must work together to protect Harry from a killer named Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who intends to kill the young wizard.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Apr. 2026
Now, Byfield and chums are hitting their stride at the right moment.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The other thing is this is not just a group of Khan’s chums.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The passing of his striking mother at age 35 from breast cancer, a woman who attracted many of his elementary school chums to vie for a spot in her carpool, devastated a young Felder at the dawn of his teen years.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
The shot was redirected home by Marchment, ingratiating him with his new chums.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
The two got on famously, and have been chums ever since.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chums
Noun
-
Use our new checklist feature on each entry to keep track of your favorites and share with friends.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
At the time, Shehorn’s friends speculated that she had been stabbed more than 20 times.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
In practical terms, that means Forest now associates humans with food and safety, the opposite of what a wild deer needs to survive.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Greene’s heart-to-heart media tour has been jarring liberals and anyone else who associates her with conspiratorial beliefs and outrageous comments.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
21 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Saturday Night Live guest host Matt Damon reprised his role as Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh, who reveals to drinking buddies Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel what Donald Trump‘s political future will look like.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
-
The president and his billionaire buddies who barely noticed the price increases don’t need a refund check.—
Linda Sánchez,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The ship, small by cruise liner standards, travels to the Antarctic.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
7 May 2026
-
Lenz portrays Rebecca Clarke, a recent widow who travels with her 11-year-old daughter Sarah (Morgan) to the Western Canadian frontier to escape a threat back home and make a fresh start following her husband’s death.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Comedy is the throughline that bonds it all together.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Although her sons might not be interested in acting yet, there's another way Banks bonds with her kids.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kitana joins our heroes, secretly undermining her adoptive demon father Shao Kahn.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
Gosling’s Holland March reluctantly joins with Crowe’s Jackson Healy, an enforcer, on a missing girl case.—
Jake Coyle,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The building’s backstory runs almost as deep as its celebrity roster.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
7 May 2026
-
Fans of First Watch in the Treasure Valley can expect more locations, according to Richards, owner and operator of Rise and Smile, the restaurant franchise group that runs First Watch locations in Idaho and Utah.—
Michael Deeds
May 7,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chums. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
