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as in to prove
to gain full recognition or acceptance of you must demonstrate your scientific thesis before a jury of your professional peers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of demonstrate are evidence, evince, manifest, and show. While all these words mean "to reveal outwardly or make apparent," demonstrate implies showing by action or by display of feeling.

demonstrated their approval by loud applause

When would evidence be a good substitute for demonstrate?

While in some cases nearly identical to demonstrate, evidence suggests serving as proof of the actuality or existence of something.

a commitment evidenced by years of loyal service

When might evince be a better fit than demonstrate?

The meanings of evince and demonstrate largely overlap; however, evince implies a showing by outward marks or signs.

evinced not the slightest fear

When could manifest be used to replace demonstrate?

Although the words manifest and demonstrate have much in common, manifest implies a plainer, more immediate revelation.

manifested musical ability at an early age

When can show be used instead of demonstrate?

The words show and demonstrate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, show is the general term but sometimes implies that what is revealed must be gained by inference from acts, looks, or words.

careful not to show his true feelings

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 demonstrate The discovery of relativity and quantum physics has demonstrated that nature at high speeds and small distances behaves in ways very foreign to our sensory perceptions. Alan Lightman september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025 Vision may be impacted and the sufferer will demonstrate symptoms of dementia before, ultimately, losing the ability to perform basic functions like eating, swallowing and breathing. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 The crowd's response to Trump demonstrates his polarizing nature, with the president beloved by many grassroots Republicans but loathed by much of the left. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 In his final start of the season, on Monday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Dollander demonstrated his potential. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for demonstrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demonstrate
Verb
  • Hawaiian Airlines, meanwhile, proved why it's historically dominated the on-time performance category.
    Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • In the end, the Viking landers found no creatures, and biological experiments proved inconclusive.
    David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But once Houston established both sides of the line of scrimmage again, the rest of the tilt became academic.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Upon formally changing his name and establishing WM Entertainment, the label soon signed singers Taegoon and Ahn Jin-kyung with the former’s debut album including production from future HYBE founder Bang Si-Hyuk.
    Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An initial jolt of spicy pink pepper dissipates to reveal a rose dripping in honeyed, ambery sweetness, while its leathery base adds strength, dimension, and something a little bit naughty to this fruity-floral triumph of a scent.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Standard blood tests then revealed his liver function to be out of sorts.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Here, Renzi explains how long the doc was in the works, why family members didn’t participate, and how Marco of all people helped Sheen to get off crack.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
  • At a time when contentious words dominate our conversations—think insurrection and fascism and fake news and woke—the need for dictionaries to chronicle and explain language, and serve as its watchdog, has never been greater.
    Stefan Fatsis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The timing, although likely coincidental, illustrated the dilemma Democrats currently face.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Still, Carney’s lyrical piece, a sort of prose poem-flash fiction hybrid, written from the point of view of an unborn baby, illustrates a womb space at once protective and cage-like.
    Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • China’s economy showed further signs of weakness last month, with key data Monday revealing factory output and consumption rising at their weakest pace for around a year.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2025
  • That may explain why taking HRT in the years right around menopause—and in turn, avoiding the steep estrogen dropoff of this phase—was shown to lower dementia risk.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Eco Wave Power logo is displayed on a floater raised out of the water during a demonstration of Eco Wave Power electricity generation technology using the power of ocean waves in the harbor at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, on August 26, 2025.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • According to a 2022 study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, older adults with a suicide attempt displayed higher levels of suicide intent than younger adults with a suicide attempt.
    Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Later Cox said a person of interest was in custody and being interviewed, and clarified that the person was not the man booked on the obstruction charge.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Of the 118 valid responses from patients, 108 indicated the ChatGPT summaries clarified details about the original report.
    Kate Ruder, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Demonstrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demonstrate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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