compensate 1 of 2

1
as in to reimburse
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury you'll have to compensate the neighbors for cutting down their tree

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2
as in to pay
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received compensate them well for their efforts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

compensate (for)

2 of 2

verb (2)

as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective a mafioso thinking that he can compensate for the evil he's done by giving to charity

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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 compensate
Verb
This buffer provides management with flexibility, but does not compensate for weak operational performance. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Curry herself was given responsibilities as a child — though, she wasn't compensated for it. Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025 The Cygnus spacecraft compensated for its suboptimal position on the ISS by using its steerable main engine, using gimbals to move the engine's nozzle to direct its thrust in the right direction. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025 Emery did not compensate for the absence of a traditional winger by deploying a wing-back system in possession, pushing Cash higher to provide width and rolling Boubacar Kamara into the right centre-back space. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensate

Cite this Entry

“Compensate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compensate. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

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