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fate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fate distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fate are destiny, doom, lot, and portion. While all these words mean "a predetermined state or end," fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

the fate of the submarine is unknown

When is it sensible to use destiny instead of fate?

The words destiny and fate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

Where would doom be a reasonable alternative to fate?

The synonyms doom and fate are sometimes interchangeable, but doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

How do lot and portion relate to one another, in the sense of fate?

Both lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance.

it was her lot to die childless

In what contexts can portion take the place of fate?

While in some cases nearly identical to fate, portion implies the apportioning of good and evil.

remorse was his daily portion

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 fate
Noun
The fate of the enriched uranium On Capitol Hill on Thursday, after administration officials gave lawmakers a classified briefing on the strikes, Republican lawmakers acknowledged that the U.S. strikes may not have destroyed Iran’s cache of enriched uranium. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 28 June 2025 But the ultimate fate of Trump’s policy remains uncertain. Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Verb
Given Iris was fated to die before having kids, Stefani's family shouldn't exist, so death is coming for them. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2025 In anguish, the woman wept, asking the heavens why mother and daughter were fated to be separated. Karissa Chen, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fate
Noun
  • The United States should do more to empower Iranians to determine their destiny.
    Felice Friedson, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
  • Goldwater wouldn’t manifest that destiny, but Reagan, 16 years later, took this vision of fiscal conservatism to the White House.
    Drew Kurlowski, The Conversation, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Legal and financial barriers delay needed care, leading to substantially worse health outcomes for our community.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
  • The court today disregards Congress's express desire to prevent that very outcome.
    June 26, CBS News, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • And the company’s legal battle with Albertsons over the demise of the merger deal is ongoing.
    Melissa Repko, CNBC, 20 June 2025
  • The visual of Ship 36 going up in flames harkens back to those previous explosions, along with the fiery demise of a Falcon 9 rocket on its launch pad in 2016 under circumstances similar to Wednesday night's incident.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Fast-forward to today, and the latest Mini to come from Wood & Pickett is destined for the garage of model, fashion entrepreneur – and noted car guy – David Gandy.
    Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Otherwise, they are destined to be remembered as useless and timid wimps as the U.S. was slouching toward a dictatorship.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • The result is abundant natural light and views of the grounds beyond the home.
    James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025
  • The result, officials and experts say, is less violence and better outcomes.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.
    DEVI SHASTRI, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
  • This was one of the theories about Wilkins’s death.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • But in 1931, the German mathematician Kurt Gödel demonstrated that any interesting system of mathematical axioms is doomed to incompleteness.
    Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2025
  • The Hornets nearly lost the program in the early 1990s amid sweeping budget cuts that doomed a number of statewide college football programs in California, but a student referendum saved the sport.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • After cooling, the resultant solid was ground into powder to produce the final pigment.
    Jay Kakade June 14, New Atlas, 14 June 2025
  • Meanwhile caretakers are concerned with something that can be even more challenging to address: the psychological trauma resultant from years of abuse in captivity.
    Ryley Graham, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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