INTERESTS Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

interests 1 of 2

noun

plural of interest

as in stakes

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

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Relevance

as in companies

a commercial or industrial activity or organization a multinational corporation with interests on every continent

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as in interest groups

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

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interests

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of interest

as in intrigues

to hold the attention of the book didn't interest me, so I ended up watching the parade of people on the sidewalk

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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 interests

Noun

Instead, many of the Gulf countries now view Washington as prioritizing Israel’s interests over their own. —

Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026 Charles used a portion of the speech to praise NATO and the role the defence alliance has played in protecting their citizens and interests. —

Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026 For Chicago, the shocking crimes are noteworthy contributors to its tattered national reputation — fair or not — for being unsafe and for criminal-justice policies perceived as being concerned more with the rights of those accused than the interests of those victimized. —

The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026 The Larry Ellison family will retain control of the company through its voting interests, the company said. —

Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 However, the legal right to publish information about private individuals is not absolute and generally depends on a balance between privacy interests and newsworthiness, particularly when reporting on purely private affairs. —

Lorna Veraldi, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026 Under the executive order, state employees are not allowed to use nonpublic government information for prediction market bets that further their private interests. —

Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026 Now, however, the counterterrorism director’s role is coming back to light as hostilities roil the Middle East and heighten the risk of attacks in the United States or against American interests or allies overseas. —

Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 21 Apr. 2026 Part of the family’s business interests include the Sahli Karrosserie restoration shop, which embarked on a complete restoration of the car. —

Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026

Verb

But Mary Bennet isn’t the only character in Jane Austen’s novels who Jane Austen gives a bit of a side eye to and that is really what interests me. —

K.j. Yossman, Variety, 7 May 2026 What interests me more, however, is where Kneecap get their information. —

Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026 There’s just so many options and so many avenues to do medical and medical-adjacent stuff, like teaching, education, public health, research, whatever interests you, writing. —

Torie Bosch, STAT, 2 May 2026 The fact that both CBS News and CNN will be under the new corporate roof, however, makes the involvement of Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf interests a sensitive point. —

Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026 If that interests you, read on. —

Michael Khouw, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026 And along with gender and empowerment, there’s also something about having bright colors and a lot of grief on stage that interests me. —

Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 The Supreme Court only grants review to about 1% of petitions, but one scenario where the odds are higher involves federal circuit splits—especially when the number of people impacted is considerable and when the legal question interests the justices. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026 Ogalla said one project that interests her is the renovation of a former medical facility in Joliet to create a veterans centric campus for the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission. —

Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for interests

Noun

Commanders in the special forces are not taught to simply issue orders; that’d rob them of the initiative and ownership that’s essential to rapidly changing, high-stakes environments.

— Big Think, Big Think, 4 May 2026
Several sources indicate Beijing views the high-stakes summit as a singular opportunity to secure a more stable long-term relationship with its largest economic and military competitor.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 4 May 2026