1
as in topics
a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition)
that is not relevant to the matter under discussion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in things
something to be dealt with
we must take care of this matter before it becomes a real problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in mails
communications or parcels sent or carried through the postal system
first-class matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in problems
something that requires thought and skill for resolution
I've been thinking about the matter all night, and I believe I have a solution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in means
to be of importance
she believes that doing well in school really does matter
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 matters
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
That’s left researchers and startups to take matters into their own hands.
—Ana Castelain, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Where intelligence is deployed matters just as much.
—Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Across all types of tax relief, staying in compliance matters.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Celina parent, Andrea Bocque, told trustees that accountability matters.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Context matters, legal analyst says The protesters who disrupted Sunday services at the Minneapolis church might have violated the two federal laws, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said Tuesday, but context matters.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Daphne Koller, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
That caveat matters, Rummer pointed out.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
And that’s the only calculation that matters – to them.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
Dropbox helps filmmakers and creative teams find, organize, secure, and share the content that matters most to any project.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
That distinction matters for boards weighing long-term investment decisions under pressure from multiple stakeholders.
—Chris Bradley, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Money matters — so make the most of it.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
What matters to me are results.
—Mike Levin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
For hours, in the suffocating heat, Dooley sifted through endless accounts of mundane colonial matters—church records, itemizations, legal disputes, petty complaints.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
That’s left researchers and startups to take matters into their own hands.
—Ana Castelain, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Where intelligence is deployed matters just as much.
—Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Across all types of tax relief, staying in compliance matters.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Celina parent, Andrea Bocque, told trustees that accountability matters.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Context matters, legal analyst says The protesters who disrupted Sunday services at the Minneapolis church might have violated the two federal laws, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said Tuesday, but context matters.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Each issue curates essays, interviews, frameworks, and visual explainers that add up to a coherent exploration of a topic that matters.
—Daphne Koller, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
That caveat matters, Rummer pointed out.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
And that’s the only calculation that matters – to them.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
Dropbox helps filmmakers and creative teams find, organize, secure, and share the content that matters most to any project.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
That distinction matters for boards weighing long-term investment decisions under pressure from multiple stakeholders.
—Chris Bradley, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Money matters — so make the most of it.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
What matters to me are results.
—Mike Levin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matters
Noun
-
Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
John Brummett,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Consider Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast, which began in 2006, developing its current long-form, immersive format that explores major historical topics with a punk sensibility.—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But those are very different things.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Anything tied to the royals will always draw some interest, which actually underscores how difficult things are for Harry and Meghan, as even their titles no longer seem enough to attract audiences to lackluster projects.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This worldwide effort mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children under age 5 every month, with a goal of sparking a lifetime love of reading.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
12 Oct. 2025
-
In the past, only elite researchers had access to their genetic fingerprints, but now personal genotyping is available to anyone who orders the service online and mails in a spit sample.—
Merrill Fabry,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Bera added that agricultural problems ultimately impact all consumers.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Onsite quantum advantage The Advantage2 system uses quantum annealing, a method designed to solve highly complex optimization problems that are difficult for classical computers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But Yale said the move to raise the limit to $100,000 means nearly half of American households with children ages 6 to 17 will qualify for all education expenses being covered.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In Dak's case, that also means 10 years without an NFC Championship Game appearance.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy (2003), for instance, worked within the revenge thriller genre but infused it with uniquely Korean themes about shame and family honor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Across rooms and conversations, three themes stood out clearly.—
Vaishali Nigam Sinha,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
When scripting issues necessitated older characters, Argento built the sets to appear large next to his adult actors.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Kaplow constructed the crux of the Blue Moon story out of a series of correspondences between Hart and an unidentified Yale student named Elizabeth.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Understanding symbolic interpretation as merely code-breaking is a popular fallacy, but the correspondences that underlay symbology are never one-to-one, but rather a complex, interlocking system of connotations and often contradictions across time periods and cultures.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matters. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
