as in to sympathize
to have the same feelings as another person; to feel empathy for someone
—often + with
He learned to empathize with the poor.
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Recent Examples of empathize
This will help people empathize a lot more.
—
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
The 1995 film version of this exchange between Charlotte and Lizzy, in which the former is portrayed cooly by the unflappable Lucy Scott, challenges the audience’s ability to empathize with Charlotte’s pragmatism, and seems to encourage us to side with Elizabeth’s dismay.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
And, as if to forestall the accusations of exploitation that have plagued earlier shows, Love Story goes out of its way to empathize with its lovers.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Johnson empathizes with callow Nets Brooklyn used a pair of rookies in the starting lineup (Nolan Traore and Egor Demin) and had two more in the bench rotation (Danny Wolf and Drake Powell).
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for empathize
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
The 1995 film version of this exchange between Charlotte and Lizzy, in which the former is portrayed cooly by the unflappable Lucy Scott, challenges the audience’s ability to empathize with Charlotte’s pragmatism, and seems to encourage us to side with Elizabeth’s dismay.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
And, as if to forestall the accusations of exploitation that have plagued earlier shows, Love Story goes out of its way to empathize with its lovers.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Johnson empathizes with callow Nets Brooklyn used a pair of rookies in the starting lineup (Nolan Traore and Egor Demin) and had two more in the bench rotation (Danny Wolf and Drake Powell).
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for empathize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empathize
sympathize
Verb
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But nowadays, unconditional US aid to Israel is deeply unpopular with Democratic voters, who are more likely than ever to sympathize with Palestinians over the Jewish state.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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Democratic sympathy for Israelis has fallen to 17%, the lowest level ever recorded, while 65% now sympathize with Palestinians.—
Jacki Karsh,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Empathize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empathize. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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