help 1 of 2

1
2
3
4
as in to benefit
to provide with something useful or desirable being independently wealthy certainly helped him during his years as a struggling young artist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5

help

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word help distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of help are ameliorate, better, and improve. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

In what contexts can ameliorate take the place of help?

Although the words ameliorate and help have much in common, ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

How do improve and better relate to one another, in the sense of help?

Both improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care
immigrants hoping to better their lot

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 help
Verb
Making a move like this would help the Mets avoid another disappointing season next year. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025 From disasters to everyday hardships, Delivering Good helps to restore comfort, renew hope and help families move forward with dignity. Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
During the walkabout, William stopped for selfies, consoled a woman who appeared to have injured her hand and chatted with locals, sometimes with the help of a translator. Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025 Plus, on the Hot 100, Kehlani gets her first top 10 ever with a little bit of help from her famous friends. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for help
Recent Examples of Synonyms for help
Verb
  • Sullivan also assisted on the Americans’ opening goal, a 30th-minute finish tucked away by Charlotte FC homegrown Nimfasha Berchimas.
    Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office assisted the agency.
    Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • So, Taylor woke up with his head half-shaven and a shunt installed to help alleviate the pressure and drain out the spinal fluid that the tumor was blocking.
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The funds are meant to alleviate monetary barriers and enhance the fashion industry’s talent pipeline.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Heat, which was out-rebounded 61-38 in Wednesday’s loss in Denver, has had particular difficulty preventing teams from rebounding their own miss.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
  • When in a group, space out to prevent the current from transferring between individuals.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Younger voters, defined as millennials and Gen Z, have driven the last days of early voting, which likely benefits Mamdani.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Backed by data purporting to show that Drake, in particular, has benefitted from billions of fake streams, the lawsuit accuses Spotify of turning a blind eye to exploitation of its payout model, which allocates royalties to artists based on their share of total streaming volume.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Following Monday night’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Lakers improved to 6-2, tying for second place in the Western Conference.
    Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • One way the company is hoping to improve performance is by lowering the inventory.
    Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • With the assistance of more than 400 philanthropic leaders and influential leaders, Power Lunch has raised over $33 million to date, to provide nourishing meals to New York City’s aging population.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The money, already earmarked for the county Public Health Department’s efforts to address food insecurity, will pay for thousands of meal boxes and other assistance, Bryant said.
    Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The work accomplished at Silent Swarm 2025, along with technology such as the TEEMS device, illustrates how the company is architecting the advantage for today’s performance and tomorrow’s success along the tactical edge.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Through two periods, Carolina had a 25-11 advantage in shots on goal.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The uncertainty of the coaching staff led Irvin to reopen.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2025
  • At least 460 people are believed to have been killed —including staff and patients—in several waves of attacks, according to the World Health Organization.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Help.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/help. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on help

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!