1
as in tournaments
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
decided he would indulge in a friendly basketball game with his friends before dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in plans
a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective
the crook told his accomplice, "Here's the game: look surprised when the police ask about the money"
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in professions
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
stand-up comedy is his game, and he's one of a handful of people making a decent living at it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in areas
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
the education game simply was no longer of interest to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 games
An epic comeback and an epic bounce defined two games that forced Game 7s on Friday night.
—
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026
Blake Bowen hit a home run in all three games.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
No team has ever lost 12 consecutive games and made the postseason.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The New Jersey native is the latest champion to make headlines, whose winning streak came to an end on April 27 after 31 games.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Logan Stankoven has eight goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in round one.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Boston is 60-13 in games after a loss.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Filip Bystedt, the Sharks’ first-round pick in 2022, led San Jose in regular-season scoring with 60 points in 65 games.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026
Blake Bowen hit a home run in all three games.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
No team has ever lost 12 consecutive games and made the postseason.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The New Jersey native is the latest champion to make headlines, whose winning streak came to an end on April 27 after 31 games.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Logan Stankoven has eight goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in round one.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Boston is 60-13 in games after a loss.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Filip Bystedt, the Sharks’ first-round pick in 2022, led San Jose in regular-season scoring with 60 points in 65 games.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for games
Noun
-
Alright, so not a hot start for the McLaren clubs, but hey, this is why people don't normally switch up their equipment before big tournaments.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
This adidas competitive circuit, which draws teams from all over the country, includes three regional tournaments where teams must collect points to qualify for the culminating championship.—
Amy Stark Shireman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Shopify has begun allowing merchants to accept USDC payments, and Western Union just announced plans to offer a stablecoin on the Solana blockchain.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The attorney said Bjornstad had once hoped to pilot the app with Oregon State, but the ongoing situation has complicated those plans.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nursing has long been lionized as one of the most stable and safe professions for young graduates to pursue.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Cowboys, farmhands, railroad workers and the like -- all are and have been hardworking professions that required clothes to keep up, so leaning that direction for a stylish and functional menswear look makes perfect sense.—
Kelsey Legg,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On Saturday, Moscow pummeled the central city of Dnipro and other areas for more than twenty hours with barrages of missiles and drones, killing at least seven people.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor said the city and county have not had a formal reimbursement agreement for Salisbury Fire Department service to county areas for several years.—
Josh Davis,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What is noteworthy is how much energy has been sapped from each respective squad from other competitions.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Ellis has scored twice and added two assists in his last three games across all competitions.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The guide also offered practical advice in the form of meal and snack strategies, as well as menus and recipes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Weight-loss strategies can include increasing exercise and improving your diet.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Catholics represent about 29% of the population, and the country is a major source of growth and priestly vocations for the church.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The only solution for job seekers would be to specialize in vocations that AI cannot easily replicate, such as highly skilled trades, or to work in industries where consumers put a premium on human interaction.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Anzac Day is a public holiday in both Australia and New Zealand, two Commonwealth realms where King Charles is head of state.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
-
While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Games.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/games. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
