enhance

verb

in-ˈhan(t)s How to pronounce enhance (audio)
Definition of enhancenext
1
as in to improve
to make better some shrubbery would really enhance the curb appeal of that house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to intensify
to make markedly greater in measure or degree the right makeup would enhance the beauty of her eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sweeten
to make more desirable leather seats and a state-of-the-art stereo system enhance the sedan

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 enhance Overall, the effect of both was a really subtle, sheer, wearable eye shadow that enhanced my eyes while still feeling really natural and effortless. — Elle Turner, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2026 The property is perched high on a corner parcel with privacy enhanced by mature trees. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Johnson was suspended for 10 games by the NFL in 2016 for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 This set includes six 13-inch placemats made from 100 percent rattan and finished with an artisan smoke-curing technique that enhances their natural color. — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enhance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enhance
  1. improve
  2. intensify
  3. sweeten
  4. deepen
  5. spruce
  6. heighten
  7. candy
  8. strengthen
Verb
  • At 28 years old, the sizeable outlay on the Brazilian midfielder continues Arsenal’s ploy of spending big money on players who can immediately improve their first team.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Some activists remain positive that more staffers at shelters will improve conditions, but others argue the money should go straight to the animals through food, enrichment and supplies instead of wages.
    — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of improve
Verb
  • The end of the men’s World Cup and subsequent drama at FIFA (that keeps getting messier) have only intensified that feeling this year.
    — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The government has intensified firefighting efforts across Sumatra and Borneo islands, deploying more than 35 aircraft including water-bombing helicopters and patrol airplanes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensify
Verb
  • This fruit cobbler starts with a base of fresh strawberries and blueberries tossed with sugar and cornstarch to sweeten and thicken.
    — Terrence Hayes, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Insufficient light reduces fruit production, stops the plums from sweetening, and leaves the tree vulnerable to fungal diseases.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sweeten
Verb
  • At dinnertime, Thune gathered all the Republican senators for a meeting as the standoff deepened at the Capitol.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Those experiences deepen understanding in ways that lectures and memorization alone rarely can.
    — Lisa Schade, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepen
Verb
  • Prince Harry even spruced the place up to Meghan’s liking while the couple was dating, per People, and proposed to her in the walled garden outside of the cottage in 2017.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 20 June 2026
  • And these pieces don’t need much to spruce them up either.
    — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 20 June 2026
Definition of spruce
Verb
  • The risks are heightened for women of color, according to the most recent maternal mortality data from the March of Dimes and the CDC.
    — Kristin Wright, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Growing tensions with Washington have heightened Beijing’s anxieties.
    — Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of heighten
Verb
  • That’s basically the reason cheese straws and candied pecans exist.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The menu, which launched April 27, included a Watermelon Lemonade made with watermelon puree, along with a Sprite Watermelon drink and a Watermelon Sparkling Energy drink, which included fresh fruit and candied watermelon.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of candy
Verb
  • However, the notion of the emperor’s divine origins strengthened during the Meiji era, when the concept of State Shinto arose.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The tropical storm is set to strengthen into a hurricane on approach to Hawaii’s Big Island this weekend.
    — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of strengthen

Browse Nearby Words

enhaloing
enhance
enhanced
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Enhance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enhance. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on enhance

Nglish: Translation of enhance for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All