1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

kiss

verb

ˈkis How to pronounce kiss (audio)
Definition of kissnext
1
as in to cuddle
to touch one another with the lips as a sign of love it's traditional for couples to kiss under the mistletoe at Christmastime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing a gentle breeze kissing the water's surface

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 kiss On June 8, Sara took to Instagram to commemorate the special occasion with a series of images featuring her and Noah sharing kisses and cozying up together. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026 At 4 o’clock on a Thursday morning, Salomon Olea grabbed a packed lunch of a ham-and- cheese torta and a white peach, kissed his wife goodbye and left the home in Escondido he’s owned for nearly 30 years. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Rather than saying it back, Ricky kisses him for the first time — only for Coach Hudson to walk in and Chad to quickly hide his face. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 In video obtained by TMZ, Bunnie Xo kissed 24-year-old reality star Dylan Wolf in Nashville at Jelly Roll's bar. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kiss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kiss
  1. cuddle
  2. brush
  3. smooch
  4. caress
  5. hug
  6. touch
  7. snuggle
Verb
  • The Rhode beauty founder posed in a tiny white nightdress while cuddling and kissing Justin in bed in photos shared on September 7.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Sep. 2026
  • As Kelce stopped in one of the Plaza Hotel’s rooms to drop his bags in the video, he was greeted by the dog, who looked up at the NFL star before cuddling in alongside him on the couch.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of cuddle
Verb
  • Each whisker is packed with sensitive nerve endings at its base that detect tiny deflections, vibrations, and pressure changes when brushing against surfaces.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • When asked if the issues was personnel, in-experience, technique, assignment, discomfort, Tabor, who has been a special teams coordinator for five NFL teams over a 15-year period, brushed off the question.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of brush
Verb
  • In July, Powell also shared a sweet photo of himself and Randolph smooching in a Fourth of July photo dump.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The vinyl edition comes with some special gatefold artwork that appears to show Winter smooching Carnegie Hall’s namesake and builder, Andrew Carnegie.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of smooch
Verb
  • Breasts are caressed and thighs crisscross; kisses are planted, and occasionally there’s a glimpse of something more graphic.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In one video, pop singer Madison Beer was seen caressing Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's face as if the two were shooting a scene straight out of a reality show.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of caress
Verb
  • In flight tests, the tiny drone navigated pitch-black enclosures, mapped unknown room layouts, hugged surface contours, and located exits without a single visual cue.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • While attending the grand opening of the Skims flagship store in London, Kardashian turned heads in a figure-hugging corset dress, complete with a waist-high leg slit.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hug
Verb
  • The ball first touches the ground, a player or anything else at a point nearer the opponent’s goal line than the passer’s hand.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Shipstead’s electrifying novel spans decades and brings the period of early aviation to thrilling life, in the process touching on themes of women’s empowerment and struggle.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of touch
Verb
  • But these kittens can't stop snuggling after being separated.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The next slide showed Thurston snuggling up with her dog, Charlie.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of snuggle

Phrases Containing kiss

Browse Nearby Words

kismets
kiss
kissable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kiss. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on kiss

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kiss

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All