gists

noun

plural of gist
as in essences
the central part or aspect of something under consideration didn't catch every word between them, but heard enough to get the gist of the conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gists
  1. essences
  2. hearts
  3. roots
  4. kernels
  5. cores
  6. points
  7. sums
Noun
  • Finish Skin Prep With a Toner or Essence After cleansing, a toning step can remove any leftover impurities from the pores and balance the skin’s pH level, while essences—which have a slightly thicker texture—tend to be more hydrating.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
  • For the skincare enthusiast who knows her serums from her essences, an exfoliating cleanser from DIME Beauty can be a thoughtful addition to her routine.
    — Ethan Stone October 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of essences
Noun
  • Our hearts are with the families whose homes and livelihoods have been impacted.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
  • There are also four black hearts hidden in the scarecrows, which can be used to blow up a player’s scarecrow avatar and block them from getting this mysterious power-up.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of hearts
Noun
  • Reid on Wednesday remembered a player who embraced his rural roots — Bailey grew up in Hog Hammock on Sapelo Island off the Georgia coast — and offered, ahem, a culinary tip.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The goddesses in these paintings have a serene air, with roots firmly anchored in the earth, but also a crown of leaves that sway with the wind.
    — Tatiane de Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of roots
Noun
  • In their experiments, the team found silicon in the kernels before irradiation.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The kernels also give you more control over how to prepare the popcorn.
    — Vanessa Caceres, Verywell Health, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of kernels
Noun
  • Demand for transformers has surged, yet the US has only one domestic producer of the specialized electrical steel needed for transformer cores.
    — Dr. Sarah Kapnick, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Chip designer Arm has estimated that agentic AI data centers could need 120 million CPU cores per gigawatt, four times what traditional data centers require.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cores
Noun
  • The Horned Frogs’ defense deserves a ton of credit for shutting down a Baylor offense that scored 55 points and rolled up 564 yards in its last game against Arizona State.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But scoring just 14 points against a Carolina defense that allowed 59 points earlier this season is not good enough.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of points
Noun
  • SpaceX is seeking to raise an extra $40 billion in debt to help fund the campaign, but even fans on Wall Street question how SpaceX will raise the massive sums required.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • United Democracy Project will continue operating, according to the letter, preserving AIPAC's ability to raise unlimited sums for independent political spending even as the group ends candidate endorsements, direct PAC contributions and earmarking.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sums
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.

Browse Nearby Words

gist
gists
git
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gists. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All