1
as in halves
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 associates
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 assistants
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 partners
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 friends
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
as in sleeps
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.
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Recent Examples of mates
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Quaid recalls a March visit to Rome, Italy, with his cast mates to promote the show.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Unseasonably warm weather patterns, including the unprecedented heat wave in March, have driven rattlesnakes out of their winter retreats in search of food and mates a month ahead of the typical start of rattlesnake season, Taylor said.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The wolf’s breeding season starts in February, and family groups merge then as the unpaired young wolves select mates.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
But this was deliberate, and his team-mates knew what was coming.
—Michael Bailey, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
This time of year is also a key period for feeding and mating, meaning snakes are actively searching for food like rodents and frogs, as well as potential mates.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
In addition to touring with BLACKPINK last year and joining ROSÉ, JENNIE and Jisoo on the quartet’s Deadline world tour, LISA got in the studio with her mates for last month’s Deadline EP.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026
Eovaldi, with 14 years in the big leagues, picked the brains of a Hall of Fame wing of rotation mates.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
One of Altman’s batch mates in the first Y Combinator cohort was Aaron Swartz, a brilliant but troubled coder who died by suicide in 2013 and is now remembered in many tech circles as something of a sage.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Quaid recalls a March visit to Rome, Italy, with his cast mates to promote the show.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Unseasonably warm weather patterns, including the unprecedented heat wave in March, have driven rattlesnakes out of their winter retreats in search of food and mates a month ahead of the typical start of rattlesnake season, Taylor said.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The wolf’s breeding season starts in February, and family groups merge then as the unpaired young wolves select mates.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
But this was deliberate, and his team-mates knew what was coming.
—Michael Bailey, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
This time of year is also a key period for feeding and mating, meaning snakes are actively searching for food like rodents and frogs, as well as potential mates.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
In addition to touring with BLACKPINK last year and joining ROSÉ, JENNIE and Jisoo on the quartet’s Deadline world tour, LISA got in the studio with her mates for last month’s Deadline EP.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026
Eovaldi, with 14 years in the big leagues, picked the brains of a Hall of Fame wing of rotation mates.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
The centre-forward is increasingly aware of these situations, positioning himself correctly or attacking the right space to offer his team-mates an option when City are attacking the wide areas.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mates
Noun
-
And this is certainly not the sort of outfit that does anything by halves—the four-floor spa is one of the city’s finest.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Indiana responded with one of the most dominant halves in NCAA Tournament history, outscoring the Wolverines 57-33 to rally for an 86-68 victory in Philadelphia.—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bondi was slated to appear before the committee on April 14 after the committee issued a subpoena for her testimony over the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files amid mounting frustration over how the department managed and released materials tied to Epstein and his associates.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Maxwell told Blanche during the two-day interview there was no client list, no blackmail scheme and, to her knowledge, no high-profile Epstein associates who committed illicit acts in connection with his crimes.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Undeterred, Staley kept at Auriemma until she, too, was steered away by her assistants.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The 72-year-old coach walked toward Staley in the final seconds of the game before the two had an angry exchange, with assistants having to get in between them.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Collective processes involve tiring negotiations, frequent conflicts, and disappointing compromises, both internally among the team and with external interlocutors and partners.—
Adam Szymczyk,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The idea comes from men’s relationship coach and motivational speaker Alessandro Frosali, who compared some low-maintenance partners to, well, plastic bags in a viral video.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Family and friends held a memorial last month, marking five years since the fatal shooting of Toledo.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Be patient with partners and close friends.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When someone with sleep apnea sleeps on their back, there’s a risk of their airways collapsing, which can impede their ability to breathe, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
For anyone who works night shifts, has young children who nap during the day or simply sleeps better in a completely dark room, blackout curtains can make a meaningful difference.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Other traditional bean companions, such as petunias or garlic, may yet be proven effective in future studies.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
-
She is thrust into an extraordinary journey that will take her all the way to the surface, accompanied by her colorful, loyal and unlikely companions.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His appearance was a surprise even to his colleagues, who stood up and applauded enthusiastically as the audience whooped and hollered.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Those roots deepened in 2024, when five of Sediqa’s colleagues formed a sponsor group through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, bringing our family together after three years apart.—
Sediqa Fahimi,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mates. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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