1
as in attire
dressy clothing
the family wore their best to the wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in elite
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
only the best will go on to the finals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to worst
to achieve a victory over
at last she's bested her card-playing mother at the game of hearts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of best
Katie Simons, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
While it isn't favored to win best picture, it's been gaining momentum and could well pull off an upset.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 19 May 2026
As a result, while most of the athletes at the three divisional meets county-wide were hoping for personal bests, there were still those who used the meet to simply qualify and live for another week.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Evelyn Cheng,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Seventeen players bested her in that statistical category.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for best
Adjective
The duo won Oscars for best picture, director and original screenplay.
—Katie Simons, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
While it isn't favored to win best picture, it's been gaining momentum and could well pull off an upset.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
Njoku, a Pro Bowl selection in 2023 after setting career bests with 81 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns, gives Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert another target for the 2026 season.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 19 May 2026
As a result, while most of the athletes at the three divisional meets county-wide were hoping for personal bests, there were still those who used the meet to simply qualify and live for another week.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Verb
The Hong Kong exchange was first in the world by IPO funds raised last year — besting the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, which came second and third respectively — according to KPMG, which noted that strong momentum in 2025 continued in the first quarter of this year.
—Evelyn Cheng,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Seventeen players bested her in that statistical category.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for best
Recent Examples of Synonyms for best
Adjective
-
The North Face is known for its stylish yet functional jackets, like this insulated parka that comes in several shades, including a trendy chocolate shade.—
Cai Cramer,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Josie’s design of Sister Europe is rich, playful and stylish—the magpie in me is super drawn to her glimmering illustration and colour choices.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Her accessories were kept minimal and echoed the polished nature of her attire.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
16 June 2026
-
All of the ducks don festive attire during holidays and big New England sports events.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
After tackling the class struggle of an old-money family in the first Knives Out and the toxic culture of the tech elite in Glass Onion, where could Blanc go next?—
Senior Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
-
That’s what the elite naturally do.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Across fixtures which mirror the opening half-a-dozen matches of the first team’s Champions League campaign, Newcastle were defeated on every occasion.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
So that led to the biggest shock of all when after Steven blocked Savannah’s vote, and Sophi’s Knowledge is Power fizzled in spectacular fashion, and Tres Leches seemed despondent and defeated… that Steven ended up being unanimously voted out anyway!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The bed’s half-moon silhouette is elegant and the perfect space-saving design for tighter gardens or patios.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Not only do Loewe’s interior scents—like its refreshing cucumber fragrance—smell wonderful, but the elegant bottles make attractive ornaments for your bookshelf or coffee table.—
Katherine Burns Olson,
Architectural Digest,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In London, the show is led by Arti Shah, who is performing inside the bear costume and James Hameed, who provides the bear’s voice and controls its facial expressions.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
Turner spoke about how her costumes tell a story about what is happening with Barb this season.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
On Thursday morning, photos showed floodwater had nearly risen to the top of the garage door.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
-
His experiments continued in Milan, playing another 4-4-2 diamond, with Alexis Mac Allister at the top of it, and a strike partnership of summer signings Alexander Isak and Ekitike.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 in the first and could not overcome the early deficit thanks to the efforts of OU starting pitcher Xander Mercurius’ 7 1/3 quality innings pitched.—
Hunter DeLauder,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
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Chasing atomic limits To overcome that challenge, the KAIST team relied on first-principles calculations, a computational approach that predicts material behavior using the laws of physics rather than experimental data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Best.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/best. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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