1
as in services
an act of kind assistance
did me the courtesy of loaning me his jacket
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gestures
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
the greeting "How are you?" is often intended as no more than a courtesy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of courtesies
Small courtesies keep big efforts moving forward.
—
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
—Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Leonora measures out her days in courtesies and slights, the former dominating the beginning of the book, the latter rapidly gaining ground.
—Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
—Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Leonora measures out her days in courtesies and slights, the former dominating the beginning of the book, the latter rapidly gaining ground.
—Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtesies
Noun
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The system uses about 100,000 barrels of oil a day for essential services.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
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The office is among the most public-facing in state government, providing a host of services that include driver’s licenses and testing and other state IDs and registrations for vehicles, lobbyists and businesses.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, the biography gestures at what remained unspoken and inadmissible in Blume’s childhood.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
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Standing by a doorway, Jones made gestures toward the man’s dirt bike, the statement said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Following his arrest, Maui Health said his medical staff privileges at Maui Memorial Medical Center have been suspended pending investigation.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Parents and community members may be seated immediately upon completion of their criminal background checks, with full voting privileges.—
Hope Moses,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Influencers need to stay in the good graces of the Emirati government to remain.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
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But Epstein looked to get back into the billionaire’s good graces.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was sentenced to five years in prison for his alleged part in a scheme to obtain funds from the government of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in exchange for political and diplomatic favors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
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The aesthetic favors deliberate roughness and mistakes over a sterile, polished sheen.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtesies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtesies. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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