COURSES Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

courses 1 of 2

noun

plural of course

as in procedures

a way of acting or proceeding the president's usual course has been to obtain advice from several people and then make up his own mind

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Relevance

as in classes

a series of lectures on a subject a course on American history from the colonial period to the present

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as in processes

a usually fixed or ordered series of actions or events leading to a result set out on the course that would lead to a college degree

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as in routes

the direction along which something or someone moves the river follows a southeasterly course to the ocean

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as in canals

an open man-made passageway for water the Erie Canal was replaced by a much larger course, the New York State Barge Canal

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courses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of course

as in tracks

to go after or on the track of after coursing the conspirators for months, the federal agents closed in and made the arrests

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as in traverses

to make one's way through, across, or over once the threat of terrorism became apparent, fighter jets began coursing that corridor on a daily basis

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as in races

to proceed or move quickly racehorses coursing down the track

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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 courses

Noun

There are over 75 classes available for all skill levels and even include prenatal courses. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 The program was created for candidates who are applying for three-year Advanced Diploma programs alongside one-year and 16-week courses. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 14 July 2026 Currently, 4 million students of all ages take nondegree courses at community colleges each year. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026 Key strategies include acquiring certifications and completing short courses to gain specific competencies quickly. — Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026 After a Washington Post reporter wrote about completing two Sophia courses in a day — mainly using Ctrl-F to find answers to open book, unsupervised tests — the online learning platform started blocking them from using the search function. — Todd Wallack, Washington Post, 10 July 2026 Hailey put that mindset into action through California’s dual enrollment program, which allows high school students to take college courses as early as their freshman year and earn up to 11 credits per semester. — Ronnie Li, USA Today, 10 July 2026 Between courses, a master cooper treated us to a fire-barreling demonstration, unleashing tall jets of flame that shot to the ceiling and filled the air with the aroma of charred oak. — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026 Residents complained about teenagers popping wheelies through shopping centers, blowing stop signs, weaving around pedestrians and treating greenways like race courses. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026

Verb

The same love of equality and freedom that courses through the Declaration motivated her white great-grandmother to campaign for suffrage and her African American grandfather to found a chapter of the NAACP in the Jim Crow South. — Michael Kazin, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 And about the obsession that courses through dozens of countries on the continent. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 3 June 2026 But Open, Heaven also courses with youth’s great agony, the cruelty that learning to love should be inexorably followed by learning to grieve its undoing. — Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026 Such is the power of cachaça, the essential and irresistible Brazilian sugar cane spirit that courses through each round of tropical cocktails passed across the bar. — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for courses

Noun

Full Smile Makeover Antalya has become one of the busiest destinations for smile makeovers, combining cosmetic procedures such as porcelain veneers with restorative treatments including crowns, bridges and dental implants.

— Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
And injuries that once ended careers can now be repaired through outpatient procedures.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of procedures

Noun

Students are expected to return to the building when classes begin in August, although portions of the project will continue through most of November.

— Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 14 July 2026
There are over 75 classes available for all skill levels and even include prenatal courses.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Definition of classes

Noun

Basically, the fact that zinc did not always agree with carbon and nitrogen suggests that δ66Zn may be sensitive to ecological processes that are invisible to traditional tracers (offering a complementary lens rather than a replacement).

— Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 11 July 2026

Definition of processes

Noun

Their main fantasy appeal comes from players with secure minutes, penalties and multiple routes to points.

— Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Others will argue, reasonably, that no other commercial industry staffs onboard physicians on most routes, and that the infrequency of serious events makes dedicated medical staffing hard to justify economically.

— Sriman Swarup, STAT, 13 July 2026

Definition of routes

Verb

For example, the Invesco QQQ Trust Series, better known by its ticker QQQ, tracks the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index and has $482 billion in assets.

— Bailey Lipschultz, Fortune, 5 July 2026
The same simulation also tracks how often each team reaches each stage of the bracket, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, final, third-place match, runner-up finish, and championship.

— Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of tracks

Verb

Completed in 2010, the bridge traverses extensive agricultural land and urban areas, allowing trains to bypass road crossings while maintaining high operating speeds.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
The ride traverses nearly 1,000 miles across Indiana over 13 days, stopping in communities to meet with survivors, those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty, and visit memorials and gravesites.

— Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2026

Definition of traverses

Verb

Once inside, the burglar sends in a robotic assistant that races through the rooms, checks drawers, copies keys, locks cabinets and writes a demand note asking for money to unlock the data.

— Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
As is common with Enola Holmes films, zippy flashbacks and kicky montages illuminate what led up to all of this, but there’s an energy missing here, as the film races to get back into the present Maltese moment, which feels dire indeed.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026