deck 1 of 2

Definition of decknext
as in balcony
a flat roofless structure attached to a building the family usually ate on the deck on summer evenings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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deck

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deck different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of deck are adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When can adorn be used instead of deck?

In some situations, the words adorn and deck are roughly equivalent. However, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of deck?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When could decorate be used to replace deck?

The meanings of decorate and deck largely overlap; however, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is embellish a more appropriate choice than deck?

The synonyms embellish and deck are sometimes interchangeable, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to deck?

While the synonyms garnish and deck are close in meaning, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of deck?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

How is the word deck different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of deck are adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When can adorn be used instead of deck?

In some situations, the words adorn and deck are roughly equivalent. However, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of deck?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When could decorate be used to replace deck?

The meanings of decorate and deck largely overlap; however, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is embellish a more appropriate choice than deck?

The synonyms embellish and deck are sometimes interchangeable, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to deck?

While the synonyms garnish and deck are close in meaning, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of deck?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

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 deck
Noun
The glass sliding door living room window broke too, and the deck outside was torn apart, the deck floor collapsing to the ground. Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026 Rice finished the inning with a solo homer that landed in the right-field deck. Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
One photo on Instagram shows the large living room decked out like a magazine spread for Christmas. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2026 This is why Fruscione encourages his clients to avoid the temptation to deck out every spare inch to the max. Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deck
Noun
  • On Wednesday, April 1, Alberto Romero became trapped in the live wires of an electrical service drop after the pet, who had been missing for two days, was seen on the third-floor balcony, according to NBC 7 San Diego.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Boy Talk appeared one at a time in the same spot on the balcony, each guy in turn blown up on the screen above his own head.
    Danielle Parker, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Later in the video, the three of them gathered around the camera, trying drinks together and decorating more Easter eggs.
    Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
  • The entire timepiece—the oval case, the dial, and the bracelet—is decorated with the Clou de Paris motif, which has appeared on Cartier watches and jewelry for over a century, but not quite like this.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • For deeper cleaning, a power wash on the porch floor, steps and siding can deliver an instant refresh — but proceed with caution depending on your surfaces.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026
  • But the porch light, with only one working bulb, refuses to show us the perfect curves of her aloneness.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Her look came adorned with red antlers and a person in a red bodysuit to hold her veil.
    Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The Phoenix Crown of the Druk Gyaltsuen (Dragon Queen) is made of silk brocade and adorned with phoenixes and other Buddhist motifs, Tatler Asia previously reported.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Around the stone swimming pool, at the beach club with the white umbrellas lined up in front of the sea, and at the bar and on the rooms’ terraces, the hotel had the atmosphere of a private club.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The aquarium is part of a wellness area comprising a hammam, sauna, massage room, cryotherapy, and a relaxation area with an opening terrace.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The tank top has side slits, which create a flowy silhouette that drapes nicely over the pants.
    Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
  • With Green draped all over him, spearheading the Warriors’ blitzing defensive attack, Leonard was held scoreless for the first 11 minutes and 43 seconds of the fourth quarter, even as the Clippers force-fed him the ball down the stretch.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • These re-engineerings provide consumers with high-performance chronographs that are trimmed to fit into multiple cases.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Revisions also have trimmed 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls, a sign that the labor market remains under strain.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Deck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deck. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

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