1
as in articles
a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view
school essays on what it means to be a patriot
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2
3
as in tests
a procedure or operation carried out to resolve an uncertainty
a little homemade essay to determine the easiest way to strip the paint from the bookcase
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in tries
to make an effort to do
he had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of essays
Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Stacy Arp, an Oak Forest Police Department dispatcher who helped gather the applications and essays, said most members of the Oak Forest Police Association voted for the two students.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Since its launch in 2014, The Players’ Tribune has published more than two dozen athlete essays about mental health, including testimonials from NBA player John Wall and WNBA star A'ja Wilson.
—Scott Parrott, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The essays explored everything from judicial review to foreign policy.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026
The researchers divided people into three groups, and asked them to write essays using either ChatGPT, Google’s search engine, or their own brains.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
In the 1760s and ’70s, these two men collaborated with a secret radical network to counter the King—laying out the case for the restoration of British liberties in a series of newspaper essays under the pen name Junius.
—Danielle Allen, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Within a sprawling œuvre—more than a dozen books of poetry, fiction, and essays—the act of writing itself is often the main character.
—David O’Neill, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Both essays promote white nationalism and express a hatred for immigrants, racial minorities and others, as well as anger toward women who prefer taller men, according to sources.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 20 May 2026
Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Her essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Esquire, The New Republic, and more.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Stacy Arp, an Oak Forest Police Department dispatcher who helped gather the applications and essays, said most members of the Oak Forest Police Association voted for the two students.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Since its launch in 2014, The Players’ Tribune has published more than two dozen athlete essays about mental health, including testimonials from NBA player John Wall and WNBA star A'ja Wilson.
—Scott Parrott, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The essays explored everything from judicial review to foreign policy.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026
The researchers divided people into three groups, and asked them to write essays using either ChatGPT, Google’s search engine, or their own brains.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
In the 1760s and ’70s, these two men collaborated with a secret radical network to counter the King—laying out the case for the restoration of British liberties in a series of newspaper essays under the pen name Junius.
—Danielle Allen, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Within a sprawling œuvre—more than a dozen books of poetry, fiction, and essays—the act of writing itself is often the main character.
—David O’Neill, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Both essays promote white nationalism and express a hatred for immigrants, racial minorities and others, as well as anger toward women who prefer taller men, according to sources.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 20 May 2026
Verb
In the film, Bajpayee plays the police officer while Jim Sarbh essays the role of the killer who goes by the fictional name Carl Bhojraj.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for essays
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
What those articles miss is the setup that happens before the call.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Dylan Harper, who has played tremendous bench minutes for San Antonio, also scored 13 on 18 shot attempts.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
There have been attempts to start up professional softball leagues before.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Trump has undergone four medical checkups in 13 months, prompting questions about the frequency of his visits, the types of tests being performed and what doctors are looking for.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
However, the headaches didn't go away after Cara completed the tests.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Nate Bargatze’s new movie, The Breadwinner (in theaters now), tries to recapture the magic of the mid-tier comedy, David Sims writes.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
The Braves have won the opening game of a home series nine times in 10 tries this season.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Does this mean those pop-goes-punk comp albums are coming back?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Except then there’s the chance of being FUNNELED, placed on the rails and headed for a very specific destination, instead of the OPEN-WORLD anything-goes of traditional D&D.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Madonna hunts pheasant in the English countryside, Thomas Edison electrocutes an elephant, Harry Harlow conducts callous experiments on monkeys, and Jimmy Carter fends off a swamp rabbit attack.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
These experiments didn’t replace theory but complemented it, with new results washing between the two modes of investigation.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Rahma strives for a cinema-verité aesthetic, with footage sometimes shot on vintage digital cameras, but the show’s style can’t overcome the limits of its format.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
-
That's in stark contrast to the graying parishioners at most Spanish churches at a moment the Catholic Church strives to engage with and remain relevant to youth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Reiter, however, began to suspect that Epstein’s altruistic endeavors had ulterior motives.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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Each one of those endeavors has given me belief in myself, usually at times in my life when things have felt hopelessly off-course.—
Kimberly McCreight,
Time,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Essays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essays. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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