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
-
The new special protective services unit would fall under the State Patrol and act as a clearinghouse for security for the Legislature, from coordinating the personnel to assessing threats.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Quixote’s fleet, lighting and grip, production supplies and communications rental services will continue in New York and Los Angeles.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This includes the importance of gestures such as going to retrieve from the family casket a pin that reproduces the British and American flags together, as well as those that actually fly on the streets of Washington.—
Giorgia Olivieri,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The high five is one of the most universal gestures in sports.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One of the greatest privileges of being in the book business, according to Fitzgerald, is still introducing fellow readers to new material—and the staff picks are as diverse as the bookstore’s clientele.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
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Certain cardholders were given early access—membership really does have its privileges—but the rest of the roughly 140 seats were offered first-come, first-served on social media.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But needing access to Chinese workers and customers also made Apple more reliant on the good graces of the Chinese government.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Mythos launch came after the height of Anthropic's dispute with the DOD, but the release has opened the door for the company to inch back into the administration's good graces.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then His unveiled, sweet mercies show Life’s burdens light.—
Douglas Sytsma,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Mike Vrabel has done himself, his family, his players, the organization, and the league no favors.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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The bottom line is that unexpected gifts, goodies and favors from others will come your way today.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtesies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtesies. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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