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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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of dating
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 discovery and dating of Monte Verde, which was initially mired in controversy, appeared to put that to rest.
—ABC News, 19 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
There is an aspect of online dating that lends itself to storytelling.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Krystal Wilkinson, a British human resource management professor, has written about finding that children and child care are considered far more legitimate reasons for placing boundaries on work than engaging in hobbies, fitness or dating.
—Peter McGraw, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
While Mi-rae chooses to devote most of her free time to real-life dating, two characters end the series as Boyfriend on Demand subscribers.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Similar to the radiocarbon dating of fossils, the level of metabolic deterioration in moss can reveal to botanists when the plant was harvested or moved.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Jenner and Chalamet have been dating for roughly three years.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
The two-story, Italianate-style structure had a proud history, though, dating to the mid-1800s when all of downtown was of a similar scale, before the era of skyscrapers.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
In an arrest report obtained by PEOPLE, police allege Le Lievre began dating the girl's mother in October 2023 and remained involved with each other until early January 2024.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Miller and Wilson had a very public breakup after dating for a few months during the show's eighth season.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
Self, who has also been head coach at Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts, has guided his teams to 23-win campaigns in 24 of the last 26 seasons dating to 1998-99.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Welniak added that her brother, Jack, is dating Tennessee pitcher Sage Mardjetko, the former Lemont standout.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
No dating advice has ever debunked the delusions of straight, single women quite so swiftly.
—Olivia Petter, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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 discovery and dating of Monte Verde, which was initially mired in controversy, appeared to put that to rest.
—ABC News, 19 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
There is an aspect of online dating that lends itself to storytelling.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Krystal Wilkinson, a British human resource management professor, has written about finding that children and child care are considered far more legitimate reasons for placing boundaries on work than engaging in hobbies, fitness or dating.
—Peter McGraw, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
While Mi-rae chooses to devote most of her free time to real-life dating, two characters end the series as Boyfriend on Demand subscribers.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Similar to the radiocarbon dating of fossils, the level of metabolic deterioration in moss can reveal to botanists when the plant was harvested or moved.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Ryder Cup decision by the PGA of America was not a surprise given the last five chaotic days involving Woods dating to his Friday arrest.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Jenner and Chalamet have been dating for roughly three years.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
The two-story, Italianate-style structure had a proud history, though, dating to the mid-1800s when all of downtown was of a similar scale, before the era of skyscrapers.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
In an arrest report obtained by PEOPLE, police allege Le Lievre began dating the girl's mother in October 2023 and remained involved with each other until early January 2024.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Miller and Wilson had a very public breakup after dating for a few months during the show's eighth season.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
Self, who has also been head coach at Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts, has guided his teams to 23-win campaigns in 24 of the last 26 seasons dating to 1998-99.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Welniak added that her brother, Jack, is dating Tennessee pitcher Sage Mardjetko, the former Lemont standout.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
No dating advice has ever debunked the delusions of straight, single women quite so swiftly.
—Olivia Petter, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
-
Swift leaned into the soft romance of her outfit with an undone half-up hairstyle with her signature bangs brushed to the side for a dreamy effect.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The post marks a classic social media hard launch — the deliberate, public-facing debut of a new romance.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
School staff and their fellow parents are a source of support, even accompanying them to visa appointments.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Even after Acuff drove in for a layup and accompanying free throw, Arkansas was still a distant 20 points back, at 95-75 with six minutes to go.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Elite resorts around the world are increasingly courting younger guests with surprisingly sophisticated wellness menus, some of them designed for children as young as 3.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The red pigeon in Barnes’ throuple was presumed to be female because it had never been seen courting.—
Lisa Gutierrez
March 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That includes host plants for caterpillars, mature trees, animal garden, dead trees or other areas where wildlife can engage in courtship behavior, mate and then bear and raise their young.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
There is a bit of cultural significance in a part of traditional Filipino courtship, called harana.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wilson, who was born in Jamaica and lived in North Lauderdale, was a religious man who put effort into his relationships and was willing to right his wrongs, said those attending the service.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In terms of the festival, over 45 wineries will be attending.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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