collect 1 of 2

1
as in to contain
to gain emotional or mental control of applicants should collect their thoughts while waiting to be interviewed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass dust has been collecting under my bed for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to compile
to bring together from several sources into a single volume or list collected the author's early short stories, which were originally published in several obscure sci-fi magazines

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5

collect

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb collect differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of collect are assemble, congregate, and gather. While all these words mean "to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit," collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement.

collected books on gardening

When can assemble be used instead of collect?

The synonyms assemble and collect are sometimes interchangeable, but assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose.

experts assembled for a conference

Where would congregate be a reasonable alternative to collect?

In some situations, the words congregate and collect are roughly equivalent. However, congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle.

congregating under a shelter

When might gather be a better fit than collect?

Although the words gather and collect have much in common, gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state.

a crowd quickly gathered

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 collect
Verb
Human value data can be collected through surveys, and the field of social choice offers useful tools to interpret it for AI alignment. Aidan Kierans, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 In 2024, Grant collected 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and three sacks. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
Protecting workers The data neurotechnology collects could be used in ways that help or hurt the worker, and the potential for abuse is significant. Paul Brandt-Rauf, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2025 The technetium-99m flows into a person’s blood and collects, briefly, in parts of the body such as the heart, lungs, or a cancerous tumor. Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for collect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collect
Verb
  • Greek Yogurt Greek yogurt contains 17 grams of protein in a three-quarter cup serving.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The guests-only 14th floor contains the outdoor pool—stretched along the building’s edge with bang-on skyline views—and the Living Room, a clubhouse where Capella hosts events like an Evening Ritual hour with complimentary cocktails and canapés.
    Travis Levius, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • According to the National Weather Service, 2 to 3 feet of snow accumulated in the Sierra Nevada at elevations of 7,000 feet and higher from Sunday through Tuesday.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Brushes Some pool cleaners are equipped with brushes that help scrub away grime, algae and other unsightly material that has accumulated on the surfaces of your pool.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In a 10-game stretch from Feb. 24 through March 15, Washington compiled a 6-4 record, including road wins in Detroit and Denver, and showed glimpses of coach Brian Keefe’s vision for the team.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Their American Values Atlas compiled data from more than 22,000 interviews conducted in 2024 enabling them to look at individual state attitudes with confidence.
    Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Two Saturdays ago, citizens and immigrants across the country gathered and marched — including tens of thousands in downtown Chicago and the suburbs.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Homicide and crime scene personnel were gathering evidence and speaking with possible witnesses.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And as of Thursday, nearly $8,000 of the $9,000 target had been met.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The Pisces moon meeting Venus and Neptune deepens an emotional connection.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Every single one of these inane points is something federal judges might have gotten an opportunity to weigh in on had the president publicly announced an invocation of the act, as Sotomayor notes Congress requires.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Boasberg scheduled another hearing in the case for April 8 to further discuss the government's argument on its invocation of the privilege.
    Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • At the microscopic level, fluids are composed of particles—little billiard balls bopping around and occasionally colliding—and Newton’s laws of motion work well to describe their trajectories.
    Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
  • New Shepard is composed of both a rocket and a crew capsule, which is outfitted with large windows for its passengers to gaze out of during the roughly 11-minute spaceflight.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Just a few years after her 2021 graduation, Montgomery has upward of 200 clients who pay $10,000 for Montgomery’s team to fully design and assemble their dorms on move-in day.
    Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 9 Apr. 2025
  • One count of the phonetic literature found that 40.5 percent of studies had assembled only male speakers, with the vast majority of the rest using more male than female or an even number of male and female participants.
    Sarah A. Bell, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Collect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collect. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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