Synonym Chooser

How does the noun item contrast with its synonyms?

The words detail and particular are common synonyms of item. While all three words mean "one of the distinct parts of a whole," item applies to each thing specified separately in a list or in a group of things that might be listed or enumerated.

every item on the list

When might detail be a better fit than item?

The synonyms detail and item are sometimes interchangeable, but detail applies to one of the small component parts of a larger whole such as a task, building, painting, narration, or process.

leave the details to others

When would particular be a good substitute for item?

Although the words particular and item have much in common, particular stresses the smallness, singleness, and especially the concreteness of a detail or item.

a description that included few particulars

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 item Enjoy a 3-hour call brand open bar, a basket menu item, and a live DJ pumping pre-fight hype for an unforgettable night on the Strip. Nasha Smith, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 Maintain a safe distance from water, wet items, and metal objects. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025 Which items saw the biggest increase? Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025 The tests also include items frequently mistaken for firearms, including cellphones, water bottles and umbrellas. John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for item
Recent Examples of Synonyms for item
Noun
  • And your decisions affect other things.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Our main quibbles were with the fans—fan buzz and a lack of more fan filtration are two things to contend with—but experienced PC builders will find workarounds.
    Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.
    William Jones, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The other five were charged with felony resisting arrest, and four are facing an additional charge of giving false information to law enforcement, officials said.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Everything about Elvis, including his death-by-cardiac-arrest at 42 in Graceland, is the stuff of opera.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • By our points formula, a game in the 10s or below is D-grade, the 20s is average, the 30s above average, the 40s really good and 50s-plus next-stratosphere stuff.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Murphy said lawmakers have already been upping their security details in the wake of several acts of political violence across the country this year, such as the assassination of two Democratic state legislators in Minnesota this summer.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • When asked by a reporter for more details about how Trump planned to ban mail-in ballots, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration planned to work with Republicans on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures.
    Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Doing it manually means tracking down dozens (sometimes hundreds) of data broker websites and sending formal removal requests and repeating the process every few months as your info pops back up.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Gurman also mentions previously leaked info, including changes to the design across the whole series, and two new colors for the Pro and Pro Max.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With 18 games remaining in the regular season and a division title and playoff seeding in the balance, the particulars don’t matter.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Within hours, Noah was back with the particulars.
    Eddie Huang, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • As a recent ProPublica story revealed, the promises of the H-2A visa program can be undermined by extreme abuses the workers suffer, mostly by labor contractors.
    Max Blau, ProPublica, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The dream drive package includes private transfer to The Barn, Napa Valley Car Club's exclusive clubhouse, post-drive drinks and stories and return transfer.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Trolling crank baits along points and flats 15 feet deep over deeper water should still work.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
  • All perfumes pull a disappearing act at some point during the day, but Coty has figured out a way to make their fragrances less fleeting.
    Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Item.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/item. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on item

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