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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of essays
Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
If at first teachers worried about students using chatbots to write essays, now new agentic tools such as Claude Code are allowing students to outsource even more of their work to the machines.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Throughout the book, Enright’s essays shine a light in her work on Irish writers and thinkers of whom Americans might otherwise remain ignorant or only hold scant knowledge, including Maeve Brennan, John McGahern, and Edna O’Brien.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Miller is also a writer who posts essays and other writings on his Substack account.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
In this episode of Private Life, the writer and New York Review contributor Namwali Serpell joins Jarrett Earnest to discuss her new book, On Morrison, a collection of essays about Toni Morrison and her work.
—Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
The Best Dog in the World by Alice Hoffman (editor) Fourteen authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in a collection of essays.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The course is designed to help students develop skills in reading, writing and academic discussion, Howard said, with a focus on literary analysis and working toward argumentative essays by the end of the year.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
In a quintet of fine performances, his stands out in this moment so removed from when Becky Shaw debuted (2008 was not bursting at the seams with essays on our crisis of masculinity).
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
In these essays, our columnists follow their curiosity, and explore important but not necessarily answerable scientific questions.
—Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
If at first teachers worried about students using chatbots to write essays, now new agentic tools such as Claude Code are allowing students to outsource even more of their work to the machines.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Throughout the book, Enright’s essays shine a light in her work on Irish writers and thinkers of whom Americans might otherwise remain ignorant or only hold scant knowledge, including Maeve Brennan, John McGahern, and Edna O’Brien.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Miller is also a writer who posts essays and other writings on his Substack account.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
In this episode of Private Life, the writer and New York Review contributor Namwali Serpell joins Jarrett Earnest to discuss her new book, On Morrison, a collection of essays about Toni Morrison and her work.
—Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
The Best Dog in the World by Alice Hoffman (editor) Fourteen authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in a collection of essays.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The course is designed to help students develop skills in reading, writing and academic discussion, Howard said, with a focus on literary analysis and working toward argumentative essays by the end of the year.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
In a quintet of fine performances, his stands out in this moment so removed from when Becky Shaw debuted (2008 was not bursting at the seams with essays on our crisis of masculinity).
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 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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In the email, sent to Lucas, Lucas’ chief of staff, then-City Manager Brian Platt and a city spokesperson, Kozakiewicz included a copy of the audit, which reviewed 65 articles and opinion pieces published from June to November 2024.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Redshirt freshman Canaan Moore played in one game, against Eastern Washington, hitting one of his two field-goal attempts and all four extra points.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Isbel has recorded three steals on three attempts (10th in MLB).—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Now, the exams, oral tests and presentations are weighted more heavily for students’ course grades than take-home problem sets.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Simple field tests can provide further insight.—
Nora Doonan,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Iranian opposition tries to organize overseas The situation has led to new attempts to organize the highly fragmented Iranian opposition abroad.—
Amir Hussein Radjy,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Engelbeck estimates that someone tries to break into his shop in Washington state once a quarter.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
-
The we-might-all-die-if-this-special-effect-goes-wrong stuff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These are the sites of experiments that can reach back for decades; since trees, by definition, take a fairly long time to grow, that span allows scientists to understand how forests develop and to look for the changes that a warming climate is producing.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
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Spring is here, and the warm weather provides a great opportunity for families to go out and visit Sacramento’s various attractions — from visiting your favorite storybook characters to hands-on science experiments.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 6,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tips for eating Ethiopian food Tedla strives to find the right balance between authenticity for natives alongside choice for people who are curious but nervous about trying a new food.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
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The word counterculture generally refers to any movement that strives to achieve ideals counter to those of mainstream society.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The past period has added extra emphasis around the active pursuit of one of your heart’s desires, such as romance and dating, situations surrounding children, creative endeavors or hobbies.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
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And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for maintaining or increasing — not cutting — the agency’s scientific endeavors.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Essays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essays. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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