Definition of convertnext
1
as in to influence
to persuade to change to one's religious faith young missionaries who go door-to-door trying to convert people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word convert different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of convert are metamorphose, transfigure, transform, transmogrify, and transmute. While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

When is it sensible to use metamorphose instead of convert?

The meanings of metamorphose and convert largely overlap; however, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

In what contexts can transfigure take the place of convert?

The words transfigure and convert are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

When can transform be used instead of convert?

While the synonyms transform and convert are close in meaning, transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

When could transmogrify be used to replace convert?

The synonyms transmogrify and convert are sometimes interchangeable, but transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

When would transmute be a good substitute for convert?

While in some cases nearly identical to convert, transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

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 convert
Verb
The Dolphins used it for the first time in a game last Sunday, and Malik Willis — aided by a push from fullback DJ Herman — converted a fourth-and-1 for a first down. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Denying the incident or moving to an offensive posture converts a complaint about a product into a statement about character—and that’s much harder to walk back. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
The audience provides rewards and the brain converts rewards into habits. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026 When the lithium ion battery is charge, a DC-DC converter converts high-voltage DC power into low-voltage DC power. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for convert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convert
Verb
  • The seed may have been employed as a painkiller or as a social and cultural practice still influencing its modern use.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Companies that have a corporate contract with American can influence schedules.
    — Chris Dong, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • If the team succeeds, the result could transform a technology normally associated with large laboratory instruments into a compact quantum sensor that can be carried where the threat actually is.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Modern platforms transform social reaction into measurable data.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Notably, 26% of respondents said they could still be persuaded to vote for either candidate, leaving the race wide open.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Anti-mafia prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti, who has persuaded dozens of women to testify against crime families across all Italy’s crime syndicates, admits the risks are high.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Confession has also been a way for artists to seize authority from systems that preferred them silent, decorative, or safely explained.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Competitive compensation helps Broward recruit and retain the talented teachers and education professionals our children deserve.
    — Roberto Fernandez III, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The best was Purdue recruit Jackie Ryder, who led New Trier to a 45-13 win over the Huskies in Week 1.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Breitbart has also published an article skewering Hamilton for suggesting that adherents of other religions might get to Heaven.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Its adherents believe that the relentless pursuit of maximizing individual freedom and rights has come at the cost of community, religion, and traditional norms.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Other movies would have made a religious ideal of the suffering mother, attempted to proselytize its audiences, or wallowed in the melodramatic urge for a father figure.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Yet some European philosophers were intrigued by the monism of Vedanta philosophy, whereas Evangelical Christians saw the same monism as a foundation for proselytizing Christian monotheism.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Instead of spelling the end of subscription growth, AI could instead put more pressure on companies to find new ways to convince customers of value.
    — Barbara Booth, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Living a life in limbo For years, the US offered protection to people who convinced immigration judges that returning home could mean persecution, torture, or death.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Convert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convert. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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