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
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
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
-
The Cypress facility currently houses corporate functions and the financial services business on roughly 25 acres, the company said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The moodier cousin to the Courbe, the Onirique table lamp in alabaster gestures to Gilded Age interiors, opulent libraries, and museum lobbies.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
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Thankfully all the usual multi-touch gestures remain present.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The department has said it’s entitled to withhold records that exposed potential abuse victims, were duplicates or protected by legal privileges, or related to an ongoing criminal investigation.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The department has said it's entitled to withhold records that exposed potential abuse victims, were duplicates or protected by legal privileges, or related to an ongoing criminal investigation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But their dependence on his good graces still worries the Europeans.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 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
-
Applying fertilizer too early favors weed growth, which then competes with emerging grasses for water, sunlight, and nutrients.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
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Granted, being out there with the Letang-Girard pairing did him no favors.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtesies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtesies. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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