LACES Synonyms: 244 Similar and Opposite Words

laces 1 of 2

noun

plural of lace

as in wires

a length of braided, flexible material that is used for tying or connecting things I had to replace the lace of my shoe because it kept breaking whenever I pulled the knot too tight

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as in braids

a length of something formed of three or more strands woven together there will be gold lace decorating both sleeves of the new uniform

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laces

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lace

as in weaves

to cause to twine about one another the gardener laced the shoots of ivy around the trellis to direct their growth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inserts

to scatter or set here and there among other things the decorator laced small mirrors among the knickknacks for added effect

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as in licks

to strike repeatedly laced the seaman's back with the cat-o'-nine-tails

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as in spices

to make more pleasant to the taste by adding something intensely flavored a savory dish laced with saffron and ginger

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as in loads

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances animal control fed the bear food laced with a sedative

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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 laces

Noun

The heel of the shoe and its tongue tag also feature co-branding with Nigo and j-hope’s names on them and, instead of standard cotton laces, the sneakers have braided, multicolor ropes that pick up on the overall color scheme. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026 Double-laces make another appearance, this time in brown and off-white. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026 Trainers hung by their laces from telephone lines and a man with a heavily bandaged hand was eating peri-peri chicken outside the overground station. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 Animal prints, bright colors, unique laces, and floral accents have been splattered across the shoe. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026 Similar to ballerina sneakers that Nicole Kidman has worn but with a more posh feel, jazz shoes have a slim silhouette, delicate laces, and low heels that keep them feeling lighter than sneakers. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026 Those cleats — with the red Nike swoosh and white outline, the bright red laces and a strange cuff at the back, leaning right against his Achilles — were on the Falcons defensive back’s feet for the worst day of his life. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026 The combination of the lace trim and ribbon laces adds up to a unique vibe, and each one of the four non-boring neutral color options is beautiful. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026 These sandals are also easy to slip on and off in a moment, thanks to the bungee laces. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Verb

When Molly holds out her empty hand, Yvette stares at it, then shoves her dustpan under one arm, laces her fingers through Molly’s. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 Off-duty, Styles often laces up Adidas sneakers. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 May 2026 Just a little farther up the lakeshore, co-owner Yasuaki Saito’s new spot laces its breakfast menu with Japanese ingredients and Americana swagger. — Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 2026 Still, twice a week, Isai laces up her sneakers and plays pickup at a local gym. — Eden Laase, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2026 Paige is little more than a dumb blonde stereotype, another underwritten female character in Sheridan’s growing oeuvre, but Chapman laces her babyish whining with surprising bite, while showing a knack for physical comedy. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2026 Produced by Nyal, the track laces Duque’s suave vocals and Hamilton’s sugary tones on sensual and chill Afrobeats melody. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026 For The Union-Tribune On most weekends of the year, Joe Mullins laces up his running shoes and races a 5K in San Diego. — Eleanor Yang Su, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025 The skate laces Kirill Kaprizov untied following the Minnesota Wild’s morning skate on Friday were white. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laces

Noun

The counterpoints to the pre-camp pieces are those made within the camp wires, both by adults and children.

— Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
The problem is when the self-importance of festival political activism crosses wires with these horror nerds.

— Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of wires

Noun

The exterior of the sculpture is adorned with synthetic braids, a fundamental material with Peacock, for whom braiding is a metaphor for relation, an embrace, irreducible intimacy.

— Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Her beauty look, with gleaming skin and braids pulled back neatly, was similarly unfussy.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of braids

Verb

The village's pedestrian-only strip weaves through small shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and there's a Naval Museum housed in a 19th-century captain’s mansion that highlights the island’s maritime history—and is worth a visit.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
In the park, the designers combined four species of flowers with broken pieces of local pottery to form a polychromatic mosaic that weaves together vegetation and craft.

— Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaves

Verb

What should be a relaxing weekend quickly veers off course as Chuck inserts himself into the group and tests the limits of their patience.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
The Relic chip, of course, is the impetus for the main storyline of Cyberpunk 2077, where V inserts the experimental tech that contains the soul, in effect, of a real person.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of inserts

Verb

That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of licks

Verb

Plaintiff Burlap & Barrel, for example, sources spices from across the globe, including from countries like Vietnam, Guatemala, Tanzania, Turkey and France—all of which have very different economies and workforce conditions.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
The design detail spices up standard summer uniforms by adding texture and a more exciting, intentional feel to, say, a denim-shorts-and-white-T-shirt look.

— Irene Richardson, InStyle, 13 June 2026

Definition of spices

Verb

When your site loads quickly, visitors may stay longer, browse more and be more likely to convert.

— Anthony Savino, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
The main sleeper pod packs down small to store easily at home, then loads neatly into small and midsize vans only to burst out the tailgate at camp and create an instant bedroom.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of loads

Noun

This past spring, Russian submarines were caught near Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, testing a new weapon designed to disable undersea cables without detection.

— Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
This ultra-slim portable charger will snap magnetically onto compatible iPhones, giving you the easiest way to charge your phone without power banks or cables.

— Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026