1
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
man-made diamonds that were really just glass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in artificial
produced by humans rather than natural processes
the houses in the new development are built around a man-made lake
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 man-made
Most lakes in this area are man-made, according to Spencer.
—
Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2026
Where to Take a Warm Dip in Iceland Iceland has more than 120 natural and man-made pools, and upwards of 50 hot springs.
—Lauren Breedlove, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
At the 2025 Met Gala, Vogue declared that boobs are back—a truth that would resonate throughout the year, as heaving bosoms (both natural and man-made) appeared on red carpets everywhere.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
Whereas quartz countertops are man-made, granite is a naturally occurring stone, quarried from the earth, then cut and polished into the countertop material so many know and love.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for man-made
Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2026
Where to Take a Warm Dip in Iceland Iceland has more than 120 natural and man-made pools, and upwards of 50 hot springs.
—Lauren Breedlove, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
At the 2025 Met Gala, Vogue declared that boobs are back—a truth that would resonate throughout the year, as heaving bosoms (both natural and man-made) appeared on red carpets everywhere.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
Whereas quartz countertops are man-made, granite is a naturally occurring stone, quarried from the earth, then cut and polished into the countertop material so many know and love.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for man-made
Recent Examples of Synonyms for man-made
Adjective
-
This backward-looking approach fails entirely against novel attack vectors like synthetic identity creation and deepfake social engineering.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Use natural dish scrubbers made from cellulose, coconut coir or loofah instead of synthetic sponges.—
Ryan Brennan
May 11,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Bubble Up has a more natural taste than many of its competitors because it’s made with pure cane sugar and lemon and lime oils, rather than high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors, The Tasting Table reported.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
The company was founded in 1879 by Carl von Linde, a pioneer in the invention of artificial refrigeration systems.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to Briggs, after an officer took off his shirt in a faux striptease during a dance-off for a raffle prize, Kennedy put dollar bills in the officer’s pockets then took a bow — which Briggs said elicited cheers.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
The interior wipes clean, in the event of spills during transit, and the exterior is composed of a chic faux leather that’s waterproof and durable.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Operators will use a tactical battle management system, leveraging offboard sensor information, to direct a test interceptor vehicle toward the simulated threat.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
-
These simulated attacks are meant to be equally as convincing as the real ones.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ferro was arrested in May 2025 and found in possession of two firearms and a fake ID.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
One tweet features an AI cover of a fake Slayr album called BURGERMAN that imagines him as a half-burger, half-human hybrid engulfed in a hellish flood of grease and cheese splatter.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Man-made.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-made. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
