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
Charlotte Morabito, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026
However, the pair first sparked public dating rumors when they were reportedly spotted out together at a Halloween party later that month.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Each season follows a new group of individuals on the autism spectrum navigating love, dating, and relationships.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
The dimensions of the timbers correspond exactly to the drawings of the ship that survive, and the dendrochronological dating matches the vessel’s year of construction in 1772.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Dendrochronological dating, the method of using tree rings to establish the age of wood, match the year the ship was built.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
And smaller group chats are where real conversations are happening (even online dating is moving IRL again).
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The discovery and dating of Monte Verde, which was initially mired in controversy, appeared to put that to rest.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The news comes after a complicated few months for The Bachelor, which was once one of TV’s most popular reality TV dating shows.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 19 Mar. 2026
Staff Author Updated, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Tatum and Kravitz met and started dating while working on her feature directorial debut Blink Twice in 2021.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026
The current legal fight echoes a longer history of advocacy in Miami dating to the 1970s and continuing through Haiti’s first democratic elections.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Throughout March, rumors that West had begun dating his co-star Amanda Batula flooded gossip sites, though the two continuously denied said claims.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Was the plan always leveraging dating apps to find cooking candidates?
—Emily Bloch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
The streamer has ordered a new dating series from American Idol producer Fremantle and a reality series featuring a young group of elite nannies.
—Peter White, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
In this year of America's 250th anniversary, archaeologists and college students recently discovered artifacts dating back to the American Revolution — including one infamous 18th-century robbery.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
But Chris has tentatively started dating again.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
David Kuang, a 21-year-old Columbia University student, said the economics of dating can make every outing feel like a gamble.
—Charlotte Morabito, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026
However, the pair first sparked public dating rumors when they were reportedly spotted out together at a Halloween party later that month.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Each season follows a new group of individuals on the autism spectrum navigating love, dating, and relationships.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
The dimensions of the timbers correspond exactly to the drawings of the ship that survive, and the dendrochronological dating matches the vessel’s year of construction in 1772.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Dendrochronological dating, the method of using tree rings to establish the age of wood, match the year the ship was built.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
And smaller group chats are where real conversations are happening (even online dating is moving IRL again).
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The discovery and dating of Monte Verde, which was initially mired in controversy, appeared to put that to rest.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The news comes after a complicated few months for The Bachelor, which was once one of TV’s most popular reality TV dating shows.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
Set to debut this September, Kerrigan's forthcoming book aims to transform women's approach to dating by working to establish better standards, self-worth and confidence.
—Staff Author Updated, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Tatum and Kravitz met and started dating while working on her feature directorial debut Blink Twice in 2021.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026
The current legal fight echoes a longer history of advocacy in Miami dating to the 1970s and continuing through Haiti’s first democratic elections.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Throughout March, rumors that West had begun dating his co-star Amanda Batula flooded gossip sites, though the two continuously denied said claims.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Was the plan always leveraging dating apps to find cooking candidates?
—Emily Bloch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
The streamer has ordered a new dating series from American Idol producer Fremantle and a reality series featuring a young group of elite nannies.
—Peter White, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
In this year of America's 250th anniversary, archaeologists and college students recently discovered artifacts dating back to the American Revolution — including one infamous 18th-century robbery.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
But Chris has tentatively started dating again.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
-
Song of the Goddess, 1992, which Pau made while living in New York, is a tribute to the secret real-life romance between two female Cantonese opera stars, Yam Kim-fai and Pak Suet-sin.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
There were sequels, corsets, and movie romances in an age when the genre was dying.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the most pleasantly surprising things about visiting the Florida Keys is seeing how many attractions allow for four-legged visitors accompanying their humans.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
When a tag is struck, a wearable mic, such as a smartwatch or phone, picks up the sound, and accompanying software identifies exactly which tag was struck based on its unique signature.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
But the state is eagerly courting nuclear energy plants and new uranium mines.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
2 May 2026
-
To be sure, FiveFourFive — which in 2025 had sales of 7 million euros — is courting European markets.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The court’s decision could be described as a contracts law equivalent of two people not being forced to marry after they got engaged and their courtship soured.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Listeners who’d never stolen away to a soft-serve stand under the guise of an innocent meetup responded to the song’s mellifluous reading of coming-of-age courtship and simpler-days nostalgia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And that ambiguous statement raised alarms not just with workers but also with human rights groups such as Amnesty International, which issued a World Cup travel advisory for visitors planning on attending the tournament.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The romancer, which bowed in SXSW, follows Julia (Hawke), a frustrated video game designer, and Charlie (Pullman), a struggling musician, having supernatural impacts on the world after attending a couples therapy seminar to repair their volatile relationship.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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