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
The feeling of dating is refreshing for the politician. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2025 People are even skipping human dating altogether in favor of AI boyfriends and girlfriends. Myisha Battle, Time, 8 Oct. 2025 The film is a Studiocanal, LuckyChap, Film4 and Parkville Pictures co-production and is set in London and the world of modern dating. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 Since premiering in February 2020, the Netflix reality series has produced several long-lasting relationships, even amid the drama of blind dating, breakups at the altar and viral reunion show moments. Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025 This is the House of pleasure, playfulness, creativity, and casual dating. Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025 This distinction is absolutely crucial and represents one of the biggest misconceptions in modern dating, according to Xiaoli. Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025 The couple, who married in 2006 after a year of dating, had apparently begun living apart earlier this summer, just as Urban embarked on his High and Alive World Tour. Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025 Elle Liemandt, a 17-year-old high-school senior in Austin who dispenses teen-dating advice on TikTok and has created an AI-powered dating-coach app, told me that adults seem unable to offer helpful guidance for romantic relationships. Molly Langmuir, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
Cryer said he’s been following this routine after good and bad games throughout his career, dating to his time at Baylor. Nick Friedell, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Alex has been dating his longtime girlfriend, Allie Smith, since at least 2022, per her Instagram. Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025 The couple met on the dating app Hinge in early 2022 and quickly hit it off. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025 People are already using the artificial intelligence agent ChatGPT for advice on parenting and dating. Mike Snider, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 The apartment building itself is slightly newer, dating to the turn of the 20th century. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025 Newton and Brown, who began dating in 2022, welcomed their first child — a daughter — in 2024. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Oct. 2025 That’s at least, according to dating apps. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 By that definition, there’s a growing number of digisexuals out in the dating scene. Myisha Battle, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
  • Keaton and Pacino had an on-again-off-again romance for years.
    Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The pilot has moments both sweet and funny, and sets up the possibility of romance amongst the characters, as well as further high jinks from a rotating cast of license seekers and citizens ignorant of the requirements for a Real ID.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The meal would have been served family style, with many dishes laid out on the table all at once, next to their accompanying sauces and jellies.
    Victoria Flexner, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The pope raised the examples of saints, like Francis of Assisi and Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who laid the path of mercy and accompanying the poor.
    Claire Giangrave, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Conscious of this, Mamdani spent many Sundays this summer in church, courting Black congregations around the city.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The acclaimed drama, based on Edith Wharton’s unfinished final novel of the same name, follows a group of young American girls who shake up the courting scene in 1870s London.
    Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As Bella and Edward become closer, our young heroine not only romanticizes the vampire's ethereal good looks, but also the dominance and constant surveillance of his courtship.
    USA Today, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
  • After a chilly summer courtship, Governor Kathy Hochul, a hypercautious moderate, warmly endorsed him.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Nearly 1,200 people were killed, mostly Israeli civilians, including many attending a weekend music festival.
    Greg Myre, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Word had yet to reach those attending the event in the early hours of the evening, as the carpet carried on as usual.
    Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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