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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Global financial services firm BTIG noted that the rapid runup comes with risks.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
Anything stand out about other services and features?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
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With these gestures, Kokopeli pointed to technological manipulation, appropriation, and seriality as stock techniques drawn from the repertoire of contemporary art in the interest of efficient production.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Pointing out the cycle of addiction while making vague gestures toward the systems that support widespread Fentanyl use doesn’t mean the surrounding story has a point of its own.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Built around recognition that is truly personalized and with benefits that are confirmed from the moment of booking, Diamond Reserve delivers a more elevated set of privileges for Hilton’s most frequent guests.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
4 June 2026
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After someone puts themself on the exclusion list, casinos must deny them gaming privileges, the council said.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Noun
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After Felix invites him to his family’s palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
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And to keep in the retailer’s good graces, national suppliers have reformulated their cereals and other products.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Then His unveiled, sweet mercies show Life’s burdens light.—
Douglas Sytsma,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Never very popular in NYC, POTUS did himself no favors, as security concerns around his attendance led to the annual watch party outside MSG being canceled tonight.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
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If stress causes your digestive woes, eating late at night isn’t doing you any favors.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtesies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtesies. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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