collecting

verb

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in compiling
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

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4
as in assembling
to bring together in one body or place she collects antique silverware

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5
as in gathering
to come together into one body or place a crowd collected at the beach as the sun slowly set over the horizon

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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 collecting Investigators are now reviewing surveillance video and collecting evidence in the neighborhood to piece everything together. — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 That comparison includes the boon Target received from collecting its tariff refunds. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 For years, conversations around personalized medicine have focused on collecting more data. — Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 Iran also previously proposed collecting fees for passage through the waterway, while Oman proposed a system with voluntary fees in late July. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 Investigators are reviewing surveillance video and collecting fingerprints and DNA evidence from the car, hoping to track down the car thief. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 An owner holding a flat asking rent while handing back six weeks free is collecting a rent that fell. — Tony Julianelle, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 In Bogotá, Red Cross facilities were collecting aid that was being transported with support from the Colombian Aerospace Force. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 Central Africa’s unique circumstances Our team began collecting data for the database in January 2018, covering 46 of the 54 countries in Africa. — Daile Zhang, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collecting
  1. containing
  2. accumulating
  3. compiling
  4. assembling
  5. gathering
  6. composing
  7. amassing
  8. converging
Verb
  • The best kits with oils and lotions can rise to $150, and those containing high-quality straight razors might cost as much as $200.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The group’s survey efforts are mostly organized into 17 clusters, each containing 12 to 16 individual collection sites spread out in a grid of roughly 14 square miles.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of containing
Verb
  • But foodborne illnesses from other outbreaks are accumulating quickly, too.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The sales mark a sharp shift for a company whose strategy has long centered on accumulating—not selling—Bitcoin.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of accumulating
Verb
  • Fortunately for Kasdan the filmmaker, Short has been compiling a sort of archive of his life, going back to childhood.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Agents now retrieve a customer's transaction history, check it against sanctions and PEP lists, search adverse media and map relationships across networks, compiling all of it before a human investigator opens the case.
    — Stoyan Mitov, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of compiling
Verb
  • The project will add domestic capacity for assembling, integrating, and testing Wärtsilä engines used for ship propulsion and auxiliary power.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Nvidia is assembling a $500 billion pot from a who’s who of Wall Street firms which will, in turn, backstop OpenAI’s lease of a SoftBank data center in Ohio and help startups rent access to Nvidia’s chips from CoreWeave.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of assembling
Verb
  • The coalition has been canvassing the state, visiting churches, grocery stores and neighborhoods to talk to residents about the issue and gathering 3,500 signatures to present to lawmakers in hopes of inspiring legislative change.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Officers are gathering information at the scene, according to a Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gathering
Verb
  • Eisenberg wrote, directed and produced the film, also appearing in it and composing its original music and lyrics.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • MarcAurele worked with former Second City director Alan Kliffer to turn three frenzied weeks of writing and composing into a one-night-only concert.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of composing
Verb
  • Bronin took the other 25, amassing a 10,000-vote victory margin, 54%.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
  • And oftentimes this president peddles misinformation as a means to other ends, like amassing more money for himself while holding on to his seat of power.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of amassing
Verb
  • Currently, over 90% of Europe–Asia data and telecommunications traffic flows through Egypt and the subsea cable corridors converging at the Red Sea and Suez Canal region.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The converging trends are creating opportunities and consternation for travelers, content creators, and the travel industry.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of converging

Browse Nearby Words

collectibles
collecting
collection
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Cite this Entry

“Collecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collecting. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of collecting for Spanish Speakers

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