1
as in stake
a legal right to participation in the advantages, profits, and responsibility of something
all of the workers at the food cooperative have an interest in it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in welfare
the state of doing well especially in relation to one's happiness or success
make no mistake: she's determined to act in her own interest in this business deal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in firm
a commercial or industrial activity or organization
a multinational corporation with interests on every continent
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in special interest
a group of people with a common identifying interest that they seek to protect and promote
the contention that the nation's financial interests have too much power
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to intrigue
to hold the attention of
the book didn't interest me, so I ended up watching the parade of people on the sidewalk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 interest
Eric H. Holder Jr, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2026
With some homeowners still holding on to the ultra-low interest rates of the pandemic (think 2% and 3%), that's not the case for everyone.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Some knit, some play backgammon, and some (like Martin Scorsese) make documentaries about people that interest them.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interest
Noun
Giving this White House another two years of unchecked power could lead to even more undemocratic schemes from a president who has shown a disdain for our electoral process and no interest in accountability.
—Eric H. Holder Jr, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2026
With some homeowners still holding on to the ultra-low interest rates of the pandemic (think 2% and 3%), that's not the case for everyone.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
Also consider local hiking groups, fitness classes, or dance classes—and don't be afraid to try a few different things to find what most interests you.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Some knit, some play backgammon, and some (like Martin Scorsese) make documentaries about people that interest them.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interest
Noun
-
In this case though, thousands of corporations, including Costco, have preemptively sued the US government in an effort to secure their stake in a refund without having to put their reputation on the line as Schwartz and Woldenberg have.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
There is just enough character in the comedy to create stakes in the narrative; its misfit energy has fueled the screen’s bands of outsiders throughout the years.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Flint Township police say officers received a 911 call from a neighbor requesting a welfare check at a house.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
This comes at a moment when the nation already faces severe shortages of social workers across child welfare, mental health, substance use treatment, schools, hospitals, veterans services, and housing programs.—
David Kilmnick,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Leveraging strengths in hardware, sensors, batteries, and software ecosystems, these firms could accelerate the arrival of humanoid assistants for homes, retail, and service industries, reshaping the post-smartphone era.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Shares of firms with sizable exposure to private credit sank sharply in early February amid concerns about their ties to sectors facing disruption from artificial intelligence , particularly software.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Challenger Nicholas Cade, an attorney and former public school teacher, accuses her of being beholden to special interests.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The moment burnished the image Clinton was trying to build as someone who was willing to stand up to the party’s special interests and most loyal voting base.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ever since Benjamin Franklin’s lightning experiment in the 18th century, civilization has been intrigued by the idea of capturing lightning in a bottle.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The evolution of the moons in the Saturn system and the origin of the rings are interesting puzzles that have intrigued scientists, said Linda Spilker, a senior research and planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who was not involved with the study.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Women’s basketball San Diego State guard Nala Williams was named the Mountain West player of the week for scoring 27 points with 16 rebounds and 11 assists across two wins that allowed the Aztecs to clinch a share of the regular season championship.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Paramount’s latest offer enhanced its earlier $30-a-share bid, valued at $108 billion, said a person familiar with the process who was not authorized to comment publicly.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Still, the resilience masks a more complicated picture, economists said, given the cooling labor market and a record trade deficit in goods in December.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Andruw Monasterio hit the first Red Sox home run of Grapefruit League play to get Boston on the board, and shortstop prospect Mikey Romero’s RBI single in the seventh put them in front for good.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to approve Moderna's new flu vaccine after all, resolving a dispute that had blocked the company's application for the first-of-its-kind shot.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The company’s chief executive has said that a leading theory of the fire’s cause is that a century-old transmission line in Eaton Canyon somehow reenergized and sparked the blaze.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interest. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
