1
as in to amuse
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
entertain the kids while I go and prepare dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to contemplate
to give serious and careful thought to
have you ever entertained the thought that you could be wrong?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to have
to keep in one's mind or heart
I don't entertain the hope of ever getting a girl like that to go out with me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of entertain
Musicians, face painters, magicians, caricature artists, and aerial acrobats show off their creativity and entertain the masses.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
Although this is a great day to entertain at home, don’t ignore the demands of career and your reputation.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
From the custom zippo lighters and iconic table lamps to our classic Avocado Louie, Chicken Pot Pie, truffle lasagna, and caviar macarons—the excitement to evolve those details year after year, while having fun entertaining 1,500 celebratory guests, was incredible.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
The first and most important is that her entire job is now to entertain the queen, and the one thing the queen longs for most is more Whistledown.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertain
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
Although this is a great day to entertain at home, don’t ignore the demands of career and your reputation.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
From the custom zippo lighters and iconic table lamps to our classic Avocado Louie, Chicken Pot Pie, truffle lasagna, and caviar macarons—the excitement to evolve those details year after year, while having fun entertaining 1,500 celebratory guests, was incredible.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
The first and most important is that her entire job is now to entertain the queen, and the one thing the queen longs for most is more Whistledown.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entertain
Verb
-
But Streisand apparently couldn’t help herself, going off on some tangents in her post that left some respondents amused but others thinking that the entertainment legend was living up to her reputation for being self-obsessed.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
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The thing that amuses me the most?—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When contemplating the future of Bloom Ranch, Releford leans on the wisdom of the land.—
Martine Thompson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
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That could eviscerate Anthropic’s growth—just as the company, which is currently valued at $380 billion, has been seeing significant commercial traction and is contemplating an initial public offering as soon as next year.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Currently, 39 states have average prices below the $3-per-gallon threshold.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Every city has a notorious nightclub or bar worth visiting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the indie film, Hawke transforms himself into the diminutive composer, who regales attendees at Sardi’s bar with anecdotes about his career highs in the theater and bemoans the loss of his former partnership with Richard Rodgers.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Feb. 2026
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The Olympics often regale themselves these days as a symbol of equality.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As androids are released from servitude and others chase down their own kind for their human masters, we're left to ponder the point-of-no-return for humanity and this artificial species.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Derek’s mother-in-law visits, and Paul ponders his legacy.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rinehart’s vision for AI tools is commonly held among some of her peer set, but seems to focus on the thorniest and, for the moment, least useful AI applications.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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Senate Democrats’ campaign arm had not included Texas in their path to the majority, instead looking to hold their current seats and flip others in Alaska, Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Raisi was even considered by some as the natural successor to Khamenei and his worldview.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Nationally, the percentage of fourth graders considered proficient in reading sits just above 30%, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card.—
MAKIYA SEMINERA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The polymer solar cell is able to retain 97% of its performance after 2,000 hours in air.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Feb. 2026
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This was an aberrance by definition and by form; our collective sanity depends on retaining the ability to parse out instances of this kind of ambient shock and pain.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Entertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entertain. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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