ENGAGES Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

engages

verb

Definition of engages next

present tense third-person singular of engage

as in occupies

to hold the attention of the challenging jigsaw puzzle engaged us all evening

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in faces

to enter into contest or conflict with the daring young captain was eager to engage the enemy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in commits

to obligate by prior agreement we can't go to the dance because we're already engaged to attend a piano recital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reneges

as in employs

to provide with a paying job the wealthy couple are looking to engage a handyman to take care of the estate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hires

to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum my sister and her boyfriend have engaged a chauffeured limousine for the prom

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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 engages Plugging the metal end of the hose into the inlet engages the vacuum’s motor, turning the machine on; when the hose is unplugged, the system shuts itself off. —

Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026 Getting outside and doing hands-on learning is more engaging than sitting in a classroom passively learning by lecture, because active learning engages more regions of the brain, resulting in better understanding and retention of concepts. —

Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026 The video game ecosystem engages more than 3 billion players a year, per Playing for the Planet, and its annual revenue of nearly $200 billion exceeds film, television and music — combined. —

Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026 Clients were divided into teams of two and played Overcooked 2, a video game that engages players in preparing, cooking and serving customers a variety of food dishes. —

Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026 At the snap, Bain fires off, stays low and engages tackle Dametrious Crownover’s pads then proceeds to push him back into quarterback Marcel Reed, squeezing the pocket before eventually leaping into the sack on third down. —

Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026 So Frances, our aforementioned Chief Director of Drama, engages Wiggins, the butler, to spy on them. —

Alice Burton, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026 This movement engages the quad concentrically, which means the muscles contract while shortening, Mann said. —

Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 15 Apr. 2026 Interactive play, even on a screen, engages kids differently than passive viewing. —

Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for engages

Verb

Still, politics are rarely articulated in #vintagelife, which, with its manic reiteration of past-tense norms, occupies a peculiar position in relation to mainstream culture.

— Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
But the school occupies its own campus, Schwarzman College, modeled on the individual venues at Harvard and Oxford, boasting their own historic facades, where students live and dine.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 May 2026