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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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. 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
This leaves many users disillusioned with digital dating and pushes them toward reverse catfishing in pursuit of less performative connections. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Aside from fake dating, the novel is full of beloved, albeit cheesy, rom-com tropes. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 Radiocarbon dating, conducted in 1988 by three separate laboratories, dated the fabric between 1260 and 1390, said Andrea Nicolotti, a professor of the history of Christianity and churches at the University of Turin who was not involved with the study but had worked with Sarzeaud previously. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025 Core samples and isotope-dating of the metal-rich carbonatites recently discovered in Australia’s Northern Territory indicate that the rocks traveled near the Earth’s surface between 830 and 820 million years ago. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025 But the biggest obvious takeaway from To All the Boys is the fake dating. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025 Study authors argue that the actual dating of most archaeological sites in Australia would fall between 43,000 and 54,000 years. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025 No dating was allowed, nor was any employment outside the call center; victims were required to sleep at the call center. Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2025 In the new opening segment, Bush Hager and Guthrie discussed teen dating, including the experiences of the co-hosts themselves. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Her hobbies include lusting after them, dating them, hanging out at their beach house, contemplative night-swimming in their pool, and occasionally playing volleyball. Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025 No one cares if a 45-year-old man is dating a 55-year-old woman. Linsey Hughes, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025 The Bachelor franchise has always stuck by a somewhat silly dogma—that despite the fact that its premise (one star dating 20-plus suitors) is ridiculous and inherently a little raunchy, the show is at its core a pure slice of an Americana fairy tale. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2025 For the most part, Grand Street between Driggs and Roebling is a clean line of low brick buildings, some dating to the 19th century. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Sep. 2025 The pair have been dating for a few months, a source previously told PEOPLE. Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025 After the scandal, Paul began dating Dakota Mortensen, who appeared on Mormon Wives with her. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025 Though Leviev was still on Tinder when the documentary was released, the dating app has since banned him from the platform. Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 10 Sep. 2025 The two had been dating for close to a year, drawn together by their friendship and love of sports. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
  • For her, bedrooms and dining rooms, in particular, benefit from the romance and visual depth these prints offer.
    Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The pair rekindled their romance after a five-month break in early 2025.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The upgraded exhaust system is a delight, burbling happily at idle, accompanying acceleration with a happy snort.
    Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Explaining The Basis For The Transfer A transfer that has an accompanying explanation might at first glance seem to be the proper way to field this new approach.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As the fashion types begin to migrate to New York for the start of fashion week, the C-suite bigwigs were leaning in on Wall Street, courting investors at Goldman Sachs’ annual retail conference.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
  • For Russia, courting better relations with American allies might help relieve the economic pressure that sanctions have imposed.
    Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In a five-photo joint post on Instagram on Tuesday, Kelce and Swift revealed their engagement after a courtship that lasted for about two years.
    Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's two-year courtship is sparking a social media debate about engagement timing.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Trump has long been a sports fan, often attending events on the campaign trail and golfing with famous athletes.
    Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Carolyn Donaldson, who grew up across the street from Macedonia, remembers as a small child attending services there with her parents.
    Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!