as in similar
having qualities in common
alcoholism and drug addiction are cognate disorders
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Recent Examples of cognate
The aspiring actress Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is cognate with the earlier film’s domineering, petulant, and voice-challenged silent-film diva Lina Lamont (who, in effect, gets a backstory here).
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2022
Remembering in daylight this sensation of awaking from a dreamworld to reality seemed cognate to the experience on the highway: the feeling of being ensorcelled and then awaking from it.
—John Crowley, Harper's Magazine, 8 Dec. 2021
Hence his own always dubious business celebrity became cognate with the mantra of Making America Great Again.
—Kyle Edward Williams, The New Republic, 9 Dec. 2020
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2022
Remembering in daylight this sensation of awaking from a dreamworld to reality seemed cognate to the experience on the highway: the feeling of being ensorcelled and then awaking from it.
—John Crowley, Harper's Magazine, 8 Dec. 2021
Hence his own always dubious business celebrity became cognate with the mantra of Making America Great Again.
—Kyle Edward Williams, The New Republic, 9 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cognate
Adjective
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Residents describe the smell as a harsh chemical paint smell, similar to the smell in a nail salon.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The city checks for duplicate names, similar-sounding names, spelling conflicts, and anything that could slow down or confuse an emergency response.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Psychologist William Anthony, a pioneer of psychiatric rehabilitation, described the purpose and values of this approach as analogous to physical rehabilitation.—
Adrienne Lapidos,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
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The situation is roughly analogous to tracking the credit card payments used to pay for a car’s fuel.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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At the same time, the city has not made comparable investments in police cameras, license plate readers and real-time surveillance tools that could help prevent or solve violent crime.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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California, New York and Texas are among the 13 states with comparable measures.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Accommodations On Mustique, no two villas are alike.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
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The rooms In the Agassiz mansion, no two rooms are alike.—
Todd Plummer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Going forward, Reddit will require non-human accounts to be clearly labelled as such.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
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However, only a few metals—mainly platinum—can perform efficiently in such environments without breaking down.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cognate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognate. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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