mate 1 of 2

noun

Definition of matenext
1
as in half
either of a pair matched in one or more qualities have you seen the mate to this glove anywhere?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in associate
a person frequently seen in the company of another that lout and his mates are known troublemakers in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in assistant
chiefly British a person who helps a more skilled person a plumber and his mate showed up to fix the sink in our London hotel room

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in partner
the person to whom another is married they vowed to each other that they would remain mates for life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in friend
chiefly British a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another spent the weekend in London with some of his mates from Oxford

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mate

2 of 2

verb

as in to sleep
to engage in sexual intercourse cats conceive almost every time they mate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 mate
Noun
Fall is already an active season for many spiders, when adults become more visible, and some species search for mates. — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2026 Millions watched bald eagle Jackie raise chicks and bond with her mate on a 24/7 livestream. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
After additional testing there, the vehicle will undergo a static fire test before being mated with the upper stage. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026 Male spiders can mate over 100 times during the season with over 100 female tarantulas, per Oklahoma State University. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mate
  1. half
  2. associate
  3. assistant
  4. partner
  5. friend
  6. sleep
  7. match
  8. buddy
Noun
  • Dissolving Lines The traditional separation between news outlets’ editorial and business halves has been facing pressure from both sides of that line.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • As reported, Golden Goose continued to deliver strong growth in the first half of 2026, supported by an acceleration in its direct-to-consumer channel and double-digit gains across all regions.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of half
Noun
  • Representations and Acknowledgements • Saeed and Molly, the two other junior associates at Taylor & Byrne, seem to be scoping out Johnny for their own uses; Molly, for her part, has already activated some light flirting.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • By the end of last year, 65 Marriott associates provided more than 680 hours of mentorship, helping refugee women build confidence and job skills, as well as find opportunities for work.
    — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of associate
Noun
  • Kentucky Boy was conceived of by Old Forester assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo and Woodford Reserve master distiller Elizabeth McCall as a tribute to Morris for his 50th anniversary with Brown-Forman.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Greengart pointed to the Rabbit r1 personal assistant, which lacked distinct use cases from the smartphone and faced technical and hardware issues.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of assistant
Noun
  • Stream, a strategic partner for Talpa Studios, focused on creating formats for the streaming generation, has developed several other titles that are gaining traction in the market.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to presenting partner Amazon Fashion, supporters of the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards include Google Shopping for the American Emerging Designer of the Year Award; MAC Cosmetics, Official Beauty Partner, and Krug, Official Champagne Partner.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of partner
Noun
  • The service The service at Sala is seamless and friendly, and from arrival, the front desk staff feels more like a group of friends than a removed set of hotel employees.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Diana can be heard in revealing form in the tapes, which were conversations recorded with her friend James Colthurst in 1991.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of friend
Verb
  • Ultra-luxe suite The Residence sleeps four with two bedrooms and bathrooms.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Compared with previous models, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 offers more accurate exercise and sleep tracking, plus advanced AI features.
    — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleep
Noun
  • While the championship match was the main event, Saturday’s semifinal had a ton of intrigue for Southland girls volleyball fans.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Isom obtained an arrest warrant based on the DNA match and additional evidence linking Ross to Davis and the scene.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of match
Noun
  • After two turns as a mentor, is Pearce ready to join her buddy Green as a coach?
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Swift returned at the end of the show to present her buddy with a birthday cake.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of buddy

Phrases Containing mate

Browse Nearby Words

matchups
mate
mated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mate. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on mate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

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

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All