1
2
as in to harvest
to catch or collect (a crop or natural resource) for human use late summer is when we gather the tomatoes and begin canning them for the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass the newspapers that had been allowed to gather on the front doorstep told thieves that the family was away on vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
7
as in to summon
to call into being through the use of one's inner resources or powers gathered the strength to finish the marathon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb gather differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of gather are assemble, collect, and congregate. While all these words mean "to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit," gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state.

a crowd quickly gathered

Where would assemble be a reasonable alternative to gather?

Although the words assemble and gather have much in common, assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose.

experts assembled for a conference

When is collect a more appropriate choice than gather?

The words collect and gather can be used in similar contexts, but collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement.

collected books on gardening

When could congregate be used to replace gather?

In some situations, the words congregate and gather are roughly equivalent. However, congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle.

congregating under a shelter

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 gather The Seating Options People who come over to gather in your living just want to be comfortable! Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025 In 1993, after the fall of the Soviet Union, President Clinton changed the station from an all-NASA enterprise to one that gathered in the Russians as well as 13 other partner nations, including Canada, Japan, and members of the European Space Agency. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025 The school friends will now need to find a new place to gather. Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025 Roughly a hundred Wise County residents gathered Thursday night at a public meeting organized by Texas environmental officials about a proposal for a landfill near Aurora. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gather
Verb
  • Early this year, the directs franchise collected $75 million in equity and debt for Seven Point to buy Frazier Aviation, producer of structural parts for military aircraft.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
  • There was a distinct set of tales dealing with demons who collected idle chatter in churches, and, over time, these stories were folded into the expanding legend of Tutivillus.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Holiday specialties include pumpkin, apple and parsnip soup; pan-seared beef; roasted cod; crispy chicken; and harvest pasta.
    Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • These programs harvest passwords, browser data and other sensitive information, sending it back to the attacker's command and control servers.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There, Hernández and Pages — a strong-armed center fielder who had subbed into the game moments earlier as a defensive replacement — converged on a ball that appeared to be no easy out.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Iran’s deepening water crisis has taken a dramatic turn, as mounting tensions with Afghanistan over dam projects converge with the near-total collapse of Lake Urmia and growing fears of a humanitarian disaster.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As for Rivian’s path to profitability, McDonough noted cost savings derived from the launch of the second-generation R1 last year, and said the company will achieve further reductions with the R2.
    Jane Thier, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The third touchdown is still the most telling, deriving purely from a relationship between quarterback and receiver.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Book Now Como Parrot Cay is part of Comoclub, a loyalty program that allows travelers to accumulate credits to use toward future stays.
    Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Institutional investors like pension funds began accumulating significant amounts of shares in the 1990s and started voting to separate CEOs from board chairs.
    Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • With the brothers being seven years apart in age, James got his start as an actor first, gaining recognition with his breakthrough role in the TV series Freaks and Geeks from 1999 to 2000, and then for playing Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy, starring Tobey Maguire.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Angelo then turned his sights toward Bolgheri, which had just begun to gain acclaim as the center of the Super Tuscan movement.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Wes Ostgaard, the hiker who summoned rescuers after finding Ortiz's body, told USA TODAY that the extreme conditions on the mountain that day could have tripped up even the most experienced climbers.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
  • For five years, Ave and the other children trapped there — three of them aged six and under — were brutally pimped by their trafficker until a neighbor summoned the cops.
    Natalia Paradies, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ninety-eight of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, by far the largest satellite network ever assembled.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Oct. 2025
  • All the parts were there, just waiting to be assembled.
    Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gather. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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