congratulate

verb

kən-ˈgra-chə-ˌlāt How to pronounce congratulate (audio)
Definition of congratulatenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 congratulate Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images Nobody runs onto the field to congratulate a goalkeeper for routinely catching a cross she was supposed to catch, LeBlanc explains. — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Notably, in a tweet congratulating Jensen on the deal, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora echoed the importance of balancing open source and open weights with frontier LLMs. — CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 Kane and even Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig congratulated the player for the strike. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Woods on Sunday congratulated PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler, who won the Tour Championship, claiming a second FedEx Cup title and surpassing Woods for the most PGA Tour career earnings. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congratulate
  1. commend
  2. cheer
  3. hug
  4. compliment
  5. praise
Verb
  • Gates joined Rodrigo on stage to commend her for her philanthropic efforts with Daisy Chain Fields.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Pawsitive Tails Dog Rescue posted on Facebook commending the work of volunteers who banded together to care for the dogs.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of commend
Verb
  • Rome — Rome’s ancient Colosseum, where gladiators were once gored by wild animals to the delight of cheering crowds, has never exactly been associated with safety.
    — Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Thanks to the studio audience of super fans and elaborate red carpet entrance, this felt less like a reunion and more like an awards show (and occasionally, when the audience cheered or booed for an Islander on stage, like a Jerry Springer set).
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheer
Verb
  • Hundreds of homes and businesses hugged the Trishuli River, which cuts a winding path through the Nepali Himalayas.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The donkey has a gentle demeanor, allowing 7-year-old Cole to hug her clumsily around her face.
    — Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of hug
Verb
  • Almost immediately, my friends complimented them and proceeded to each buy a pair themselves.
    — Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
  • After seeing a replay, Tatis walked to the wall, complimented the boy and jumped up to give him a fist bump.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of compliment
Verb
  • The video of the confrontation has drawn more than 64,000 likes, with many commenters praising Opperman as a small-town hero.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Later, after clearing the Silo 1 control room, Victor both chastises Camille for her failures and grudgingly praises her for lying so convincingly that his biometric lie detectors couldn’t detect it.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of praise

Browse Nearby Words

conglomerative
congratulate
congratulated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congratulate. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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