1
as in amuses
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 contemplates
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 has
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 entertains
The media entertains these questions, in an effort to intellectualize the ideologies underpinning the cult’s bloodlust.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025
The question is whether that hardware expands or merely entertains.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
By night, Criel entertains guests for intimate dinners — and the occasional artistic performance.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
No memoir entertains like Hollywood, which is why readers should read Zwick’s, and many more.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
As a riff on the British whodunit, Columbus’ film is simply a cozy, and perhaps an all too simple, affair — nothing more than a jigsaw puzzle that neither challenges nor frustrates, but only passively entertains.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025
The question is whether that hardware expands or merely entertains.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
By night, Criel entertains guests for intimate dinners — and the occasional artistic performance.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
No memoir entertains like Hollywood, which is why readers should read Zwick’s, and many more.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
As a riff on the British whodunit, Columbus’ film is simply a cozy, and perhaps an all too simple, affair — nothing more than a jigsaw puzzle that neither challenges nor frustrates, but only passively entertains.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entertains
Verb
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Zoë has been Artemis' right-hand warrior for more than 2,000 years, giving her a more serious nature that amuses modern demigods.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Accompanied by tender, understated guitar, Gill contemplates the sacrifices and rewards that come with a life devoted to music.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
20 Oct. 2025
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Between songs, the film drifts into dreamlike Parisian vignettes Aguilera contemplates love, motherhood, reinvention, and her career’s artistry.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Swets, who has expertise with special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), formed Greenland Exploration with his investment and merchant banking firm, FG Nexus, and agreed to merge with March GL and find a suitable SPAC to take the company public.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Navigating the software involves using hand gestures and speech, although the headset also has a button for summoning Google’s Gemini and a touchpad.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wyn Baptiste An acclaimed photographer of street protests ponders the effectiveness of his work, even as his images provoke palpable international reactions.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
9 Oct. 2025
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Still, no one is ever confirmed as being in the tomb, and Debbie even ponders whether or not Danny is really dead.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Council Member Ward 4 Kelly Sullivan Angles Kelly Sullivan Angles works as a legal advisor to businesses and holds a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, according to her LinkedIn.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
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Hindu belief holds that Lakshmi cannot enter a dark space, according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Passmore reflects on Shakur’s life and considers how her story highlights the broader struggles and resilience of Black activists whose work is marginalized in mainstream histories.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
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Located at the southern end of the Strait of Malacca, a key shipping route connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, Singapore is an international maritime and shipping hub that considers maintaining open sea lines of communication paramount.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Because the waste is collected just days after washing up onshore, the plastic retains its structural integrity and does not degrade from prolonged exposure to sun and saltwater.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
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Word also, unfortunately, retains some seemingly illogical features from versions that date back several decades.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And now, many financial advisors are watching as Congress debates Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies amid the government shutdown.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Hashmi, who flipped a suburban Richmond seat in 2019 to become the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia Senate, has not committed to any lieutenant governor debates this cycle.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Entertains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entertains. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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