collects 1 of 2

Definition of collectsnext
present tense third-person singular of collect
1
as in contains
to gain emotional or mental control of applicants should collect their thoughts while waiting to be interviewed

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

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3
as in compiles
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
5

collects

2 of 2

noun

plural of collect

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 collects
Verb
The good news is that alternatives exist that rely on data Illinois already collects. Jessica Handy, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 An Iranian lawmaker told state media recently that Iran collects $2 million fees from some vessels passing through the strait. Npr Staff, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026 Why smart devices are a privacy multiplier Each individual device collects only part of the picture. Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Its core instrument, the Infrared Sounder, collects temperature profiles and humidity profiles. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026 Teacher pay also depends, in part, on how much property tax the county collects. Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026 The site collects from clients are remits payment to you when jobs are complete, minus the site’s 20% fee. Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026 Water in them collects slowly over years as precipitation seeps in. ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026 The second fee collects $260 million to $270 million a year for PG&E to spend on grid projects that need not be related to Diablo Canyon. Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collects
Verb
  • Lawlor’s book contains chapters devoted to politics, but her inclination to reach for examples of the reasonable and unreasonable that any reader will intuitively share serves her less well here.
    Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Every yard contains underground pipes that bring in services such as natural gas and water and carry away sewage.
    Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • On a cruise ship, the tote carries sunscreen, a change of clothes for port days, market finds, a book, and whatever else the day accumulates.
    Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
  • First, sleep allows the brain’s glymphatic system to clean out waste, such as beta-amyloid, that accumulates during waking hours, similar to how the lymphatic system clears waste from the rest of the body, Hwang said.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The San Francisco court has the third-highest number of asylum cases in the nation after New York and Miami, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which compiles government data.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
  • According to Grinding the Mocks, which compiles mock drafts across the country, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa is the only tackle projected in the top-10.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Film at Lincoln Center, which hosts the fundraising event, annually assembles a colorful cast of past collaborators, maybe future ones, and admirers for this event, like last year pairing Dua Lipa and John Waters with Pedro Almodóvar.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Hussaini assembles the shards of her home city of Kabul into a mosaic, honoring its history, culture, and future.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The military had recourse to Claude via a drop-down menu in a workflow package, the Maven Smart System, which gathers, synthesizes, and streamlines intelligence.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The victim then gathers himself and walks over to the sidewalk to get the suspect's information.
    Mamie Bah, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Such rhetoric echoes in official statements as well — in prayers for destruction, in invocations of divine sanction for war and in casual references to catastrophic violence.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Some of these invocations align with Hegseth’s recurring references to the Crusades in the Middle Ages – a centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims.
    Samuel Perry, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The group composes its own sacred music, lilting songs that prompt women in green-and-white wraparounds to vigorously shake their bodies.
    Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The art was created by Lily Whear and Lizzie Younan composes our music.
    Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Texas native collects coveted roles and franchise parts like Thanos amasses Infinity Stones or Tom Hanks stockpiles vintage typewriters.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Anne’s trip to the countryside opens up the series both physically and thematically by acknowledging that Irish life and history exist outside Dublin and that while the Guinness family amasses power and plays at politics, others are living a much different existence.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Collects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collects. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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