dating 1 of 2

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

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dating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of date
1
as in accompanying
to go on a social engagement with I don't want to date him—I'd rather just be friends

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2
as in courting
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage we dated for two years before we got engaged

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dating
Noun
Now in his 14th season with the NBA, Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum was first intrigued by wine when his wife Elise’s parents gifted the couple a bottle of Merlot while the two were still in college and dating. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2026 Phosphate minerals and rubidium-strontium dating gave similar ages. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026 Its long history of repairs, however, complicates archaeological dating, Storchan said. — Michele Chabin, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 Franklyn and her then-best friend and roommate, Cooper, started the podcast in 2018 and quickly turned the show — celebrated for its raunch and candor about modern dating — into a million-listener hit. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026 Another intention set for RomCon was to remind readers that love and dating can really still be fun, despite modern narratives to the contrary. — Megan O’Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026 Researchers sent a sample of bone from the skeleton to the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre for carbon dating, which placed it between 987 and 1052 CE, in the late Anglo-Saxon period. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 To get to the bottom of the mystery of the article’s spurious dating, Cade and a team of researchers from around the globe sifted through historic reports and observations of geomagnetic activity to set the record straight. — Mike McRae 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 Their accounts demonstrate how AI is blurring the line between what's real and what's fake in the already fraught arena of online dating. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Tre White scored 22 points while and Tyran Stokes and Leroy Blyden added 15 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who won on opening night for the sixth straight season and stretched their streak of home-opening victories to 54 games (dating to 1973-74). — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026 After months of dating rumors, suspiciously timed trips to Italy and a phone lock screen that seemingly gave the whole thing away, country music star Megan Moroney and USMNT soccer star Christian Pulisic are officially an item. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026 Learn About Global Christmas Traditions Each winter, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park hosts its Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit—a tradition dating to 1942. — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026 During those years, Mariette identified approximately 160 tombs in the area dating to the Old Kingdom. — Anne Doran For Artnews, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2026 Her dating experiences have also led to a Let’s F*cking Date card game product full of conversation prompts for singles and couples playing at home. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026 Klum began dating Seal not long after and the couple married in 2005. — Lia Beck, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026 Utilizing modern technology Still, the latest excavation gives researchers an opportunity to reexamine longstanding questions with advances in scientific dating methods. — Michele Chabin, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 The current tallest building in West Hollywood is the 31-story Sierra Towers, a luxury condominium building on the city’s western border with Beverly Hills dating to the 1960s that has long been a celebrity haunt. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
  • The question will be whether the honeymoon turns into a longer romance.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • For all of North of North’s affection for slow-burn romance and willingness to objectify Ice Cove’s hottest citizens, the Siaja-Neevee relationship is the core of the show, and the season embraces its tumultuousness and tenderness with deep feeling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • To bring its accompanying music to life, Perry has tapped 19-time Grammy winner Kirk Franklin to produce its original soundtrack.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Across the board, top-handle bags became must-haves for elegant women (and trend chasers), accompanying them to upscale events and high-profile dinners.
    — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Tecovas is courting the fashion crowd with its latest collaboration.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Many South Dakotans worry their home state is too busy courting these nonresident hunters — or more precisely, their wallets — to notice the fading tradition of resident pheasant culture.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • At Clifton’s in downtown Los Angeles, a Halloween wedding is taking place, a courtship between a woman and a demon lord.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Kawajiri crashes the two together both with a rather sweet, tentative courtship and plenty of comedy around the anxiety which would accompany any new romance, let alone one between two shut-ins with no game.
    — Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • PinkPantheress has been diving even deeper into the world of high fashion of late, so attending this year’s CFDAs felt like the perfect opportunity to further experiment with her own approach to red carpet dressing.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Cinequest suggests that much of the improvement comes from existing moviegoers attending more frequently, rather than from a substantial influx of new spectators.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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