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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

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help

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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
They’re packed with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that can help with their development and provide a prolonged and healthy life. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025 Goodall’s research on chimpanzees helped revolutionize how the world viewed primates and humanity. Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
There are several ways to get help filing your taxes. Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2023 That’s when content teams should get some help from AI tools in handling the details. John Hall, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for help
Recent Examples of Synonyms for help
Verb
  • The sheriff’s office said 2,200 people from multiple agencies have been deployed to assist in the recovery efforts.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
  • In a double win for Warners — which is assisting Apple in marketing and distributing the Formula One action-drama — F1 zoomed past $460 million at the worldwide box office over the weekend after finishing Sunday with a domestic total of $153.6 million domestically and $307.2 million overseas.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • Shriners Hospitals for Children have also alleviated the financial burden on the Petersons by covering the costs of Hadley's medical procedures, some of which would normally cost tens of thousands of dollars.
    Analisa Novak, CBS News, 14 July 2025
  • And if its alleviating dryness in the air, look no further than Levoit’s humidifier which adds moisture with ease.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • These slim chargers take up very little room in a bag or purse and have folding prongs to prevent scratches.
    Parker Hall, Wired News, 11 July 2025
  • The dispute over the Toledo Strip also forced President Andrew Jackson to act to prevent bloodshed and the loss of a political foothold in the swing state of Ohio.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Yet a deal preventing superintelligence would benefit all of humanity, preventing another Cold War — where a Taiwan invasion becomes ever more enticing, data centers become strategic missile targets, and cyberweapons make it onto the escalation ladder.
    Jason Hausenloy, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2025
  • Of course not, but if exports rose, the economy would benefit.
    Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Verb
  • So, how can businesses use these insights to improve customer service?
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
  • Redirecting the uptake of nutrients to roots, leaves, and new flower buds instead of spent blooms can improve the health and vigor of the plant.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • Call 2-1-1 to learn more about local heat relief options, receive help with utility bills or access other types of assistance.
    Sasha Hupka, AZCentral.com, 23 July 2025
  • Jordan, who was not involved in the ACSM report, said eliminating food assistance could worsen the nation's chronic disease epidemic.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • Analysis by German football correspondent Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Tillman has some advantages.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • With the advantage of a year in the NBA in his favor, Buzelis showed a much higher ability to handle the ball in traffic.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • This includes paralegals, associate and support staff who may be handling digital evidence requests.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers came into the season with one of the better pitching staffs and bullpens in baseball.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Help.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/help. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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