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
Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 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 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
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Despite the limited finds, these materials proved crucial for dating the site.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Ciara Miller kind of, sort of broke her silence about her best friend Amanda Batula dating her ex, West Wilson, while interviewing stars on the red carpet of the Euphoria season three premiere on April 7.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
Look, all dating and marketing conversations are tricky.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Koenig as Poppy, a sardonic dating app regular who tries her luck with Sasha.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
So, when singer Katy Perry started dating former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, the question of how his kids reacted was a valid one.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2026
Love on the Spectrum prides itself on highlighting the ups and downs of dating for those on the autism spectrum.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 8 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
Noun
The past period has added extra emphasis around the active pursuit of one of your heart’s desires, such as romance and dating, situations surrounding children, creative endeavors or hobbies.
—Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 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 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
Verb
Expecting Hoerner to maintain that level of XBH% over the course of this season isn’t realistic, but the Cubs have seen a shift in his ability to hit for more slug dating to the final weeks of last season.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Despite the limited finds, these materials proved crucial for dating the site.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Ciara Miller kind of, sort of broke her silence about her best friend Amanda Batula dating her ex, West Wilson, while interviewing stars on the red carpet of the Euphoria season three premiere on April 7.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
Look, all dating and marketing conversations are tricky.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Koenig as Poppy, a sardonic dating app regular who tries her luck with Sasha.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
So, when singer Katy Perry started dating former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, the question of how his kids reacted was a valid one.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2026
Love on the Spectrum prides itself on highlighting the ups and downs of dating for those on the autism spectrum.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 8 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
-
His plays — rife with exploration of deep humanity and emotion — provide not just a framework for hanging many different worlds upon his words, but also the kind of complex characters and twisted tales that actors and filmmakers crave, whether tragedy, romance or comedy.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Only film-lover Bella retains a shred of optimism into adulthood, having started a new romance with a film usher.—
Charles Lewis III,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Twelve courts have ruled, on motions to dismiss, that plaintiffs have sufficiently pleaded that these companies’ products constitute credit and that their accompanying fees are subject to the act’s protections.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Kids who loved CoComelon will enjoy accompanying Dora on her adventures through the rainforest.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And that’s a risk that The Audacity is courting in a premiere that doesn’t care yet about turning its satirical targets into antiheroes, which is what Glatzer was doing on Better Call Saul and Succession.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Lumentum appears to be courting more customers for its optical circuit switches — a major source of potential upside for the stock, JPMorgan said.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The woodcock's courtship display is another sensation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
May seemed to be more of a long shot, and industry sources confirmed the Michigan coach never seriously considered the Tar Heels’ courtship, instead rolling to a national championship Monday night with the Wolverines.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, some specialty middle and high schools have restructured their admissions programs to reduce the number of Asian American and white students attending.—
Alison Somin,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
-
People wave Iranian flags while attending the funeral of Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy alongside others killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran at Enghelab Square in Tehran on April 1, 2026.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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