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 During the current Nile Conference, the team has organised watch parties in Nairobi for every game, creating communal spaces for fans to gather, celebrate, and share in the excitement of the team’s historic debut in the continental championship. Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 Supporters of Palestine gather at Harvard University to protest against Israel's war in Gaza. Nik Popli, Time, 22 May 2025 The mightiest drivers are gathering at Penacony and fighting for supreme glory! Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 The petition gathered 25,000 signatures, but Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers rejected it, citing insufficient grounds for sanctions. Al Goodman, CNN Money, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for gather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gather
Verb
  • Sightings for the study were collected across an area extending from Queensland down to Tasmania and across to New Zealand’s South Island.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • New York’s 529 College Savings Program Learn More Information about New York’s 529 College Savings Program has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
    Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • At the melipona bee sanctuary, visitors can harvest and taste honey directly from the hives.
    Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • The fruit is planted and harvested by hand, which explains why delivered pineapples arrive without their crowns as they are used to plant new fruits — creating a sustainable growth process.
    Moná Thomas, People.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Domínguez, playing left field, and Bellinger converged on it.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • The main problems through the seven stages of executive onboarding can be solved by thinking marketing, selling, buying, getting a head start, converging, evolving, and adjusting – in that order.
    George Bradt, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Intended for both slim and puffy outerwear, the new material prevents the conglomeration of fibers and pushes the sustainability envelope further as it is entirely crafted from recycled fibers derived from post-consumer PET bottles.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 16 May 2025
  • Those terms derive from academic critical theory, with its emphasis on appropriation and indoctrination.
    Armond White, National Review, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • As debt continues to accumulate, the U.S. increasingly faces the risk of default, which clearly impacted Moody’s decision to downgrade the credit rating.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • With shares down more than 34% this year, Tong urged clients to quickly accumulate shares.
    Michael Bloom, CNBC, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Another summit priority is economic cooperation, where Britain may have benefits to gain.
    Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • Variety: Spanish films have gained recognition abroad in recent years, especially from new voices.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • As Beyoncé summoned better angels and called for a removal of ancestors’ misdeeds, the face of the Statue of Liberty looked on, its mouth covered with a bandana.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
  • An urbane middle-aged couple was summoned to the bar for prime seats just as the man was pulling up a BBC video about barnacle geese, a species that nests on high cliffs and whose flightless newborns fling themselves hundreds of feet to reunite with their grazing parents.
    Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • My daughter's charcoal box was assembled by mixed media artist Nikoli Shaver and included a graphite starter kit, a small pack of media-appropriate paper, an eraser, charcoal pencils, and more.
    Adrienne So, Wired News, 17 May 2025
  • But over the past few years, the hip-hop artist has shifted gears and gone on what could only be described as a spending spree, quietly assembling a high-value portfolio—now estimated at nearly $80 million—that stretches from Los Angeles to New York City.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on gather

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!