dating 1 of 2

Definition of datingnext
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
Today’s astrology brings major mental and emotional shake-ups, particularly around dating, creativity, attention and self-expression. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026 Plus, the problem with modern dating has been discovered. Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026 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 Advertisement Secure dating is built in small, consistent moments from day one, preventing ambiguity from becoming the norm. Amir Levine, Time, 20 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
Verb
The university's newspaper The Daily Nexus reported that campus crime rates have been on the rise since 2022 — with more reports of rape, dating violence and stalking. Bethany Brown, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026 The speech is the focal point of a day of ceremony and tradition that has been followed since 1852, with elements of the program dating to the 16th century. Pan Pylas, Fortune, 13 May 2026 The first season of Prime Video’s Off Campus follows a fake dating bargain between Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) and Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), and, as with most literary bargains of this nature, the romance becomes real. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026 Netflix also picked up Dan Levy’s Big Mistakes for a second season and has renewed dating show Love Is Blind for season 11 and NFL docuseries Quarterback for season three. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 Court records show Hamilton has theft and burglary convictions dating back to the 1990s. Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026 The next season of Netflix‘s hit dating experiment is heading to Boston. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 May 2026 The Packers have walloped the Rams in recent memory, winning 16 of their last 21 meetings dating back to 1992, including 10 of their last 11. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026 Overall, among Catholic Americans who have seen this feud become the most contentious relationship between a secular leader and the papacy dating back to medieval times, the pope's favorability climbs to 61%, the poll said. Terry Collins, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dating
Noun
  • The Moon in Taurus moves through your 5th House of Creativity, highlighting pleasure, romance, talent, and the desire to be seen.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2026
  • Beyond the central romance, season 1 also introduces Graham’s hockey teammates and housemates, John Logan (Antonio Cipriano), John Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks) and Dean DiLaurentis (Stephen Kalyn), along with Hannah’s best friend, Allie (Mika Abdalla).
    Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • The stadium organist, Dwayne Hilton, played accompanying music and got everyone involved.
    Warren Mayes, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
  • The stadium organist, Dwayne Hilton, played accompanying music and got everyone involved.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • One of WorldFirst’s largest offices today is in London, Shi said, evidence the company is courting outbound European SMEs as well as inbound Asian ones.
    Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • Anthropic is now courting small business owners.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Lennon’s recounting of his and Ono’s meeting at a London show of her work, and of the bashful courtship that followed, is one of the most tender and revealing parts of the interview.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
  • While Goodman’s paradoxes and fantasies posed challenges to me as her biographer, with the advent of AI slop and ChatGPT, our courtship with illusion (and possibly delusion) is here to stay.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • Rice University’s Kinder Institute studied 12 cohorts at Houston ISD from 2007 to 2019 and found that students attending the district’s Las Americas school, a specialized campus serving immigrants and refugee students in grades 4-8, had exceptionally higher end-of-year English course exam results.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
  • The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Visitors attending the festival can also take the opportunity to explore Eleuthera, which has more than 120 beaches with powdery sands and crystal-clear turquoise waters.
    Taryn White, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dating. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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