as in romance
the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married
their dating had been going on for so long that she was starting to wonder if she'd ever take that trip down the aisle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in accompanying
to go on a social engagement with
I don't want to date him—I'd rather just be friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in courting
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage
we dated for two years before we got engaged
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dating
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026
Dostal said radiocarbon dating of the wooden stoppers placed them roughly in the late 1700s.
—CBS News, 4 June 2026
Franklyn and Cooper cofounded their podcast Call Her Daddy in 2018, which quickly became an internet sensation for its honest and humorous conversations about female sexuality and dating.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
After one year of dating, the couple announced their engagement in April 2001.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
And that means modern dating is taking a hit.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Season one dove headfirst into the age-old romantic trope of fake dating with music student Hannah Wells (Bright), who, in true hockey fashion, is often called Wellsy by her love interest, Garrett Graham (Cameli).
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
Inspired by Victoria and David Beckham’s trip to Italy in the early days of dating, the sultry scent melds notes of sea breeze, incense, amber, and vetiver with patchouli and musk.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 May 2026
The show's plot revolves around tropes that are intentionally comforting and formulaic—fake dating, jock meets girl next door, and opposites attract—and evidently, the styling follows suit.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 27 May 2026
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Harry and Meghan continued dating and announced their engagement with a photo call at Kensington Palace in November 2017.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Cusack's appearance at the London premiere of the film in May marked her first time walking the red carpet in 11 years, with her last carpet appearance dating back to September 2015.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Using what are known as argon-argon dating techniques, the researchers determined that these minerals formed over a surprisingly long period, spanning from the time of the impact 66 million years ago until roughly 58 million years ago.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 June 2026
Swift and Abigail have been friends for more than a decade, dating back to their high school days in the mid-2000s.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
After getting two hits in Wednesday’s game, Lee is currently in the midst of an 18-game hitting streak, dating back to May 14, with many multi-hit explosions along the way.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
Gustafsson has been a big part of Sweden's '08 age group dating back to U17s, logging first-pairing minutes and playing in all situations (five-on-five, PK, and PP).
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Potatoes arrived in Europe later that century and in North America about half a century after that, with European settlers (though researchers in Utah have found residue of a wild potato on a tool dating back more than 10,000 years).
—Tamar Adler, Vogue, 3 June 2026
Noun
The epic journey of Altar Stone To uncover the secrets of the Altar Stone, researchers combined sandstone provenance analysis—also known as mineral grain dating—with ice flow modeling to identify potential sources and transport pathways.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026
Dostal said radiocarbon dating of the wooden stoppers placed them roughly in the late 1700s.
—CBS News, 4 June 2026
Franklyn and Cooper cofounded their podcast Call Her Daddy in 2018, which quickly became an internet sensation for its honest and humorous conversations about female sexuality and dating.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
After one year of dating, the couple announced their engagement in April 2001.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
And that means modern dating is taking a hit.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Season one dove headfirst into the age-old romantic trope of fake dating with music student Hannah Wells (Bright), who, in true hockey fashion, is often called Wellsy by her love interest, Garrett Graham (Cameli).
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
Inspired by Victoria and David Beckham’s trip to Italy in the early days of dating, the sultry scent melds notes of sea breeze, incense, amber, and vetiver with patchouli and musk.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 May 2026
The show's plot revolves around tropes that are intentionally comforting and formulaic—fake dating, jock meets girl next door, and opposites attract—and evidently, the styling follows suit.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 27 May 2026
Verb
Drafted by Cleveland a decade ago, the Corona High School alum has played in the big leagues each of the past four seasons — 31 games with the ‘23 Royals, a handful with two Mariners teams and now several with the Padres, dating to his debut off the bench last Wednesday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Harry and Meghan continued dating and announced their engagement with a photo call at Kensington Palace in November 2017.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Cusack's appearance at the London premiere of the film in May marked her first time walking the red carpet in 11 years, with her last carpet appearance dating back to September 2015.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Using what are known as argon-argon dating techniques, the researchers determined that these minerals formed over a surprisingly long period, spanning from the time of the impact 66 million years ago until roughly 58 million years ago.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 June 2026
Swift and Abigail have been friends for more than a decade, dating back to their high school days in the mid-2000s.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
After getting two hits in Wednesday’s game, Lee is currently in the midst of an 18-game hitting streak, dating back to May 14, with many multi-hit explosions along the way.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
Gustafsson has been a big part of Sweden's '08 age group dating back to U17s, logging first-pairing minutes and playing in all situations (five-on-five, PK, and PP).
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Potatoes arrived in Europe later that century and in North America about half a century after that, with European settlers (though researchers in Utah have found residue of a wild potato on a tool dating back more than 10,000 years).
—Tamar Adler, Vogue, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
-
A bit of romance, lots of great character conflicts, lovely English countryside and fantastic period costumes all make for a really excellent watch.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Here — with generous assistance from Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and an excellent Ray Liotta as players in a propulsive story about the romance and horror of being a knock-around guy — Scorsese finds momentum.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Don’t forget to scan the QR code on the accompanying postcard, revealing a custom road trip playlist that will send you off on your Rhode Island adventure with an indulgent mix of oldies and contemporary hits.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
-
As the team’s winning streak grew, the bag became a fixture in Woods’ game-day outfits, accompanying her through 13 consecutive Knicks victories.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Spotify has eliminated a temporary logo, months after courting user backlash to the design that many felt was visually unappealing.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
-
Before the outbreak of the latest war, Lebanese officials were courting Gulf tourists to return to the country in hopes of reviving the economy, and some Gulf countries had lifted travel bans preventing their citizens from visiting Lebanon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Dating, courtship, fun, hobbies, creativity, sports and games will all be on the top of your mind.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
-
The ring of pastry was crisp and impressively puffed, like a peacock’s display of courtship.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
For those who are older, managing chronic conditions, on heat-sensitizing medications, or attending afternoon matches in Miami, Dallas, or Houston, the risk is real.—
John Samuels,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Luckily for soccer fans attending Netherlands-Japan on Sunday afternoon, AT&T Stadium has a retractable roof that will remain closed for the entirety of the World Cup.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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