1
2
as in included
to have as part of a whole
the contract contains several new clauses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in comprised
to be made up of
the recipe contains several parts
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in calmed
to gain emotional or mental control of
could hardly contain herself when she heard that she had won the scholarship
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in controlled
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
frantic efforts to contain the spread of the disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in composed
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 contained
Laura Bradley, Vulture, 8 July 2025
The piece itself is a very contained script: two people, New York City, all-night shoots, felt very manageable to me.
—Carlos Aguilar, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contained
Verb
And beyond that, everyone else had to be very contained and very disciplined and very selfless.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 8 July 2025
The piece itself is a very contained script: two people, New York City, all-night shoots, felt very manageable to me.
—Carlos Aguilar, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
Adjective
The whole point back then was that Tyler contained contradictions.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contained
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Other photos in the bunch included a mirror selfie with his hair pushed back courtesy of a headband, his Cloud23 hot sauce on store shelves, Animal-style fries from In-N-Out Burger (plus plenty of ketchup) and more of life’s special little moments.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The range of the monster drawings included primitive people, giant spiders, serpents, snails and fantastical fish.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Those virtual hangouts comprised breakfast, lunch, and walks.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The latter comprised Copenhagen Fashion Week’s chief executive officer Cecilie Thorsmark; Mulberry CEO Andrea Baldo; Tekla CEO Kristoffer Juhl; Ganni cofounder Nicolaj Reffstrup, and Rikke Amtorp, head of brand and creative at Magasin du Nord, to cite a few.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The roster will be primarily composed of pop and dance music, with a physical and digital distribution agreement in place with The Orchard.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Schools overseen by the DoDEA, such as Barsanti Elementary, are composed of students in American military families.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
However, reports about how the university has controlled the use of that money has worried some alumni.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
27 Oct. 2025
-
In the 1980s and ’90s, Colombia’s cocaine cartels controlled entire regions through intimidation, corruption and fear tactics that are nearly identical to what’s now unfolding in parts of Mexico.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The collected premium cushions downside risk and enhances the effective yield on capital at risk.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Different birds, different behaviors The collected recordings were analyzed by BirdNET, an AI system that can identify bird species based on their calls.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The floor-length gown boasted a deep neckline and short sleeves, along with a waist-cinching bodice that cascaded into a mermaid skirt.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Located on Lake Superior in the northwest of the state on the border of Minnesota, the city boasted an average home value of $225,498 and an average monthly mortgage of $1,291.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Perhaps above all, the new era involved the rapid expansion and growth in density of networks that enabled unprecedented movement of commodities, people, information (including the measurements recorded by Sabine’s observatories), and invasive organisms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The study used data from surveys of 126 parents who experienced domestic or intimate partner violence and had been involved in a family court case between 2021 and 2023.—
Ashley Luthern,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contained. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share