lease 1 of 2

1
as in to rent
to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment the landlord was willing to lease the apartment for less than we had expected

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum I couldn't afford to buy a car outright, so I decided to lease one instead

Synonyms & Similar Words

lease

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lease different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lease are charter, hire, let, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

When would charter be a good substitute for lease?

In some situations, the words charter and lease are roughly equivalent. However, charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of lease?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

In what contexts can rent take the place of lease?

Although the words rent and lease have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

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 lease
Verb
Aging stadiums, economic impact Both Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium will approach 60 years of age as the teams’ leases at the Truman Sports Complex expire in early 2031. Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2025 Instead, it’s funded by private lease royalties from the Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas reserves. Michael R. Allen, The Conversation, 25 June 2025
Noun
Apartments at the Highpoint are also completely leased, Deignan said. Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025 Matthew Baron, president of Baron Property Group, which partnered with MG Developer on Metro Parc, said around 10 percent of the building has been leased so far. Cd Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for lease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lease
Verb
  • The real estate market for for-sale homes has been experiencing significant housing inventory challenges in recent years because of higher mortgage rates, keeping prices elevated and would-be homebuyers renting for longer.
    Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
  • Homes worth more than $1 million which are rented out for most of the year would not be subject to the surcharge.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Whether they’re hired permanently or temporarily through an agency, these workers will now be covered by California’s workplace safety rules.
    Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025
  • Portland made headlines last week after deciding to part ways with president Inky Son less than three months after she was hired, underlining the risk of short launch timelines for newcomers.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Two Leading Hotels of the World member properties lie within minutes of one another.
    John Oseid, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • An absolutely massive ranch just an hour from Salt Lake City could become one of the most expensive properties ever sold in Utah. Sheep Creek Canyon Ranch in Morgan County, all 7,000-plus acres of it, has just hit the market for an incredible $72.5 million.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Specifically, their brain scans revealed lower levels of fractional anisotropy, which is a measure used to assess how coherent and structured these white matter tracts are.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • More The proposal mandates the nomination of tracts within 30 days, then every 60 days until the multi-million-acre goal is met, all without hearings, debate or public input.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • The depot houses rare posters, architectural models, and artifacts from every stage of the network’s development.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • However, regardless of development, locally heavy rains are possible over portions of Belize, Guatemala, and southeastern Mexico during the next few days.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lease. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lease

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!