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
Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side.
—thehustle.co, 17 Apr. 2026
My mates and bandmates are all chosen accordingly.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
The matchmaking group sends her different pictures and descriptions of potential mates.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
The little lightning bugs blink in unison while searching for mates.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Then one faction began killing their former group mates on the other side, researchers write today in the journal Science.
—Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Kate Hudson wore a pair of itty-bitty leather shorts while on the press tour for season 2 of Running Point with her cast mates.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
Some toms, like some men, want talkative mates while others prefer as little talk as possible.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
The 31-year-old target man scored a late winner against Mbappe’s Madrid to hoist Mallorca out of the bottom three a fortnight ago, and was mobbed by his team-mates as the final whistle blew.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side.
—thehustle.co, 17 Apr. 2026
My mates and bandmates are all chosen accordingly.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
The matchmaking group sends her different pictures and descriptions of potential mates.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
The little lightning bugs blink in unison while searching for mates.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Then one faction began killing their former group mates on the other side, researchers write today in the journal Science.
—Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Kate Hudson wore a pair of itty-bitty leather shorts while on the press tour for season 2 of Running Point with her cast mates.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
Some toms, like some men, want talkative mates while others prefer as little talk as possible.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 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
-
My own life does not feel like one continuous thing but, rather, two distinct halves that belong to two very different people.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
After not allowing a single goal in the entire playoffs, the Mustangs forfeited a pair of goals in a three-minute span of the first and second halves.—
Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Fiapoto is only the latest Tre-4 member to face serious charges in Contra Costa, where five members and associates were sent to prison last year for a series of jewelry robberies, including one that resulted in a homicide in Lafayette.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The crony capitalism of Orban’s network of associates — and the spending of taxpayer and EU funds on pet projects in his hometown — painted a picture of corruption and caused Brussels to withhold billions of euros in support.—
Lionel Laurent,
Twin Cities,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Wall Group negotiates all these deals with cosmetics ambassadorships, hair product lines, top luxury brands like Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Prada, all while monitoring the work of stylists’ assistants to see who’s ready to ascend the ladder.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents roughly 30,000 support staff, including bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and special education assistants, met with the district Thursday for a mediation session.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cubans living in South Florida overwhelmingly support some form of military intervention in their home country, according to a new poll published Thursday by CBS Miami partners at The Miami Herald.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Officials are looking for partners to help build World Cup stadiums, rather than handing millions to sports stars.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pack your phone, wallet, keys, and other essentials, like a glasses case and lip gloss, and prepare to head out for a date night or brunch with friends.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The show follows two upper-crust friends, Julia (O’Hara) and Jane (Byrne), who discover their former lover Maurice (Mark Consuelos) has touched down in London while their husbands are on a golf trip.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This tiny house keeps things simple with a single-level layout that sleeps up to two people.—
Adam Williams
April 11,
New Atlas,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Page Six notes that Swift and Kelce would join celebrity couples Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, and Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber in tying the knot in the city that never sleeps.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While this makes alliums great companions for most vegetables and herbs, asparagus and alliums just don’t mix.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Implications for humans What should humans take away from episodes in which their closest genetic relatives turn on their companions?—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Most importantly, Charnoz and his colleagues’ results clustered into three mineralogical families that closely resemble the composition of the three main chondrite types.—
Javier Barbuzano,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Fernandez said the broad support for his proposal among his commission colleagues runs counter to public narratives about tow companies wielding undue influence in Miami Beach.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mates. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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