rent 1 of 2

1
as in tear
a long deep cut getting her skirt caught on a nail resulted in a four-inch rent that she couldn't possibly repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

rent

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lease
to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment we rented the apartment to a college student for $500 a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum will need to rent a car while we're in Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rent different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rent are charter, hire, lease, and let. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

Where would charter be a reasonable alternative to rent?

The words charter and rent can be used in similar contexts, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of rent?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When would lease be a good substitute for rent?

The meanings of lease and rent largely overlap; however, lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

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 rent
Noun
On average, placing two children in child care would cost at least 19% more than the typical rent in 49 states, plus the District of Columbia. Jade Walker, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 With Weidner refusing to move forward until the company was released from rent control obligations, the council voted last week to relieve all buildings citywide built after 2004 from the 3% cap on annual rent increases. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 15 May 2025
Verb
The apartment was Carmelo’s home base during his time with the New York Knicks, renting it in 2015 while navigating the peaks and valleys of his illustrious career. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 May 2025 And while Paddington in Peru has been available to rent on Amazon and Apple, the third film in this beloved franchise will now reach millions of new watchers on Netflix. Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
Noun
  • With tears welling in her eyes, Serena reveals where the commanders' flight to D.C. is departing from.
    EW.com, EW.com, 20 May 2025
  • Then, the final whistle blew, and ecstasy flowed, along with the tears.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • In addition to his recent deep dive into the 2023 porch footage, Torre has also been behind several bombshells dropped about Hudson and Belichick, who have a 49-year age gap.
    Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • That leaves a yearlong gap between The Fantastic 4: First Steps and Brand New Day, the longest break in Marvel movies since COVID.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • If these items and plans for the project are approved by the Naperville City Council, construction as soon as this fall and the homes could be fully leased by 2027 or 2028, Zach Grabijas with Lincoln Property Co. said.
    Marie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
  • There are rumors on Capitol Hill that rather than redesigning these processes to suit a new era, in a fit of panic some senior decisionmakers are actually considering avoiding it all by just leasing services for core space warfighting missions.
    Charles Beames, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • The University of Utah also stated that its police department hired a crime data analyst, Nikol Mitchell, in 2022, who discovered that the school had a cold case that had been lost for almost 20 years.
    David Chiu, People.com, 14 May 2025
  • The group hired workers with disabilities, including veterans, for specialized janitorial work in a Vacaville prison as part of a contract the California Correctional Health Care Services approved.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Hadid’s look featured a cross-back dress with a thigh-high slit in silk satin.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
  • In 2023, Heidi Klum arrived in a boob-baring Zuhair Murad look featuring thigh-high slits and dramatic wings, while Irina Shayk wore Gucci lingerie.
    Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • For decades, conservationists successfully plugged that hole by arguing in court that the ESA’s prohibition of harm to individual species includes destroying a species’ habitat.
    Emma Marris, The Atlantic, 25 May 2025
  • Other cavity nesters such as woodpeckers will make holes in trees, and those can also be adopted by tree swallows, flickers, kestrels and chickadees.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • But there are other solutions beyond slash and burn.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2025
  • His childhood friend–slash–onetime extramarital hookup, Nora, is back in the hospital with an infected graft, and her condition seems to get worse by the minute.
    Laura Bradley, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • The park officially opens on May 22, however only annual passholders, Military Freedom Passholders and guests who purchase qualifying Universal Orlando vacation packages are eligible to visit during its initial opening window.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • The Panthers dominated the Leafs in the opening period, keeping Toronto bottled up in its own zone for long stretches.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rent. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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