as in to commend
to express to (someone) admiration for his or her success or good fortune
let me be the first to congratulate you on winning the award
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of congratulate
During that time, policemen and policewomen, Black and white, approached Officer Daniel, hugging him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back, congratulating him — demonstrating an enormous outpouring of support and admiration.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026
Kelly’s older brother Colin, a two-time state champion for the Caravan and now a redshirt freshman at Illinois, was the first person to congratulate Liam.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
Stunned by the news, Weathers raced to the visiting clubhouse, where his teammates on the 49-58 Marlins — 16 1/2 games back in the standings — congratulated him.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
And that’s why there’s been so much attention paid to who congratulated Kate Middleton on her birthday on January 9.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026
Kelly’s older brother Colin, a two-time state champion for the Caravan and now a redshirt freshman at Illinois, was the first person to congratulate Liam.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
Stunned by the news, Weathers raced to the visiting clubhouse, where his teammates on the 49-58 Marlins — 16 1/2 games back in the standings — congratulated him.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
And that’s why there’s been so much attention paid to who congratulated Kate Middleton on her birthday on January 9.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congratulate
Verb
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On Sunday night and into Monday, BAM’s X feed spilled over with reposts commending the account for its largely correct forecasts.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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Comments on both videos range from commending this brilliant idea to admitting to leaving the anchor in and patching over it.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As Ji Seon stares in shock, her friends cheer in the background, chanting at her to say yes, ha.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Family, friends, and rabid supporters cheered.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Around her, dozens of community members lingered along the street with coffee handed out by volunteers, hugging old friends, calling out familiar names and answering a steady chorus of car horns with cheers and applause as students made their way toward campus, backpacks slung over their shoulders.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The girls stayed with their grandparents in the smallest of ten bahay kubo, traditional bamboo-stilt homes, that hugged a bend of the San Juan and were overgrown with mango and jam fruit trees.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In-game, as Madrid trailed 3-2 and were searching for an equaliser to compliment Kylian Mbappe’s brace, Arbeloa reacted by making a treble substitution in the 78th minute.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Alexey Miranchuk wasn’t aware that manager Gerardo Martino has repeatedly complimented him any time he has been asked about the conundrum of he and Miguel Almirón playing together.—
Doug Roberson,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Knowing their dink would be praised.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
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An uplifting voice As the marathon meeting announcing the venue changes neared its end in a nearly empty room, a parent rose to praise the board for keeping most school boundaries stable (ever-shifting school boundaries tore the district apart in the 1980s).—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congratulate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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