equate

Definition of equatenext
1
as in to compare
to regard or represent as equal or comparable a value system that equates money with success

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2
as in to refer
to describe as similar you're being silly when you equate the talent of that pop star with the musical genius of Mozart

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3
as in to balance
to make equal in amount, degree, or status you'll stop running up debts when you start equating what you spend with what you earn

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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 equate Subsequent rulings expanded the assault on our electoral system, including Citizens United, which equates people to corporations — more nonsense. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026 Meghan Callahan, from the Empower Fans Coalition, a group that opposes the bill, equates this licensing change to taking a lease out on the ticket. Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026 While the novel seems to equate bravery, as manifested through behavior in the bullring, with moral clarity, here the emblem of bravery has been turned into garbage. Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026 Expand What Counts as Leadership Too many organizations equate leadership with people management. Adrian Gostick, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for equate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equate
Verb
  • Tovar connected with investigators, who took a DNA sample from her and compared it with the DNA from the limb.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Dallas County clinics administered 9,578 vaccines in August 2025, compared with 16,412 vaccines in August 2024, Huang said.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Finally, a justice has to bring practical judgment to balancing competing interests when the legal text does not settle an issue, or the court acts as the leader for the entire state judiciary.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
  • In buttered pasta, the slight tang balances the richness of the sauce, giving it extra dimension.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The dining table then attaches and adjusts in between those benches for outdoor dining.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The legislation added new tax breaks for 2025, and the IRS did not adjust paycheck withholdings, which could result in refunds for many workers.
    Kate Dore, CFP®, EA, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But Iglesias equalized in the third minute of stoppage time when Pablo Durán set him up with his heel after a good run from Sergio Carreira.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
  • But Sweden was unfazed as Gabriel Landeskog, a forward for the Colorado Avalanche, equalized just five minutes later.
    NBC News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Your lumbar spine is designed primarily for stability and not large degrees of rotation, so the stress of compensating takes a toll.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Arizona recently surrendered about a third of its allotted supply of the river through both mandatory and compensated voluntary cuts to keep Lake Mead from going dry.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The ongoing cost of TK is about $3 billion a year; the state has also put $1 billion toward implementing the new program, including building improvements to accommodate younger kids.
    CalMatters, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
  • This was partly out of deference to a president who thinks not of enemies but only of potential counterparties to be bargained with, bullied, swindled, or accommodated.
    Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Equate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equate. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.

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