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hire

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hire different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of hire are charter, lease, let, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

In what contexts can charter take the place of hire?

The synonyms charter and hire are sometimes interchangeable, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

When can lease be used instead of hire?

The words lease and hire can be used in similar contexts, but lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

When is it sensible to use rent instead of hire?

Although the words rent and hire have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

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 hire
Verb
One of the first things Arison did after becoming the Heat’s owner was hire Riley in September 1995, which ended up turning into one of Arison’s top basketball accomplishments. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025 But the faculty hiring process is not necessarily fit for purpose. Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
The long sordid legal saga came to a somber end in January 2024 when Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed via nitrogen gas in Alabama after being convicted in a murder-for-hire plot. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025 Transportation during a government shutdown Airport security screeners and air traffic controllers will remain on duty, but new hires and some major infrastructure projects could face delays. Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hire
Verb
  • Purchasing tennis rackets, high-quality athletic sneakers, and renting courts also make tennis pricey as compared to other sports, Brown said.
    Cathy Cassata, Health, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Regular zoo accessibility amenities will be available to rent, including electric scooters, strollers, wheelchairs and wagons.
    Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The plant was projected to employ up to 8,500 people when complete.
    Caroll Alvarado, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The Jayhawks had decided, coach Lance Leipold said postgame, to run out the clock rather than trying to score in the final minute — a sharp departure from the aggressive play-calling KU had employed in the first quarter.
    Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Over 741,000 Nepalis left the country in the fiscal year 2023-24 to find employment, according to the Post.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
  • European policymakers were fully aware of the reorganization and job losses at Volkswagen, Luman said, amid broader concerns that falling employment in Germany’s historic car industry could put even more positions at risk.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This provision prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside of their employment contracts.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Workers injured on the job can receive regular payments based on their salary, plus coverage of medical bills to treat their injuries.
    TOM KERTSCHER, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Many companies, especially those with structured training programs, begin recruiting in the fall for spring graduates.
    Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Building an election team The Jackson County and Kansas City Election Boards previously said that recruiting enough poll workers ahead of the special election may be a difficult task.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • What does the gender wage gap mean for families?
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In making its economic forecast, Deloitte tracks a number of wage and income indicators, McCarthy said.
    Joan Verdon, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Social media companies and influencers paid to promote pharmaceutical offerings without proper disclosures will also be targeted by the federal government, according to CNBC, which cited unnamed senior officials.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The backslide is worse for Black women, who in 2024 were paid 65 cents for every dollar paid to White men.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The payment goes through my friend’s fiancé’s mother’s Tesla account, the poor woman accidentally footing the bill.
    Joe Joyce, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The state agency, which is in charge of the unemployment program, will be required to search its archives and locate the people denied benefits and obtain their payment information in order to send out unemployment benefits they were denied, according to the order.
    Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hire. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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