MATTERS Synonyms: 166 Similar and Opposite Words

matters 1 of 2

noun

plural of matter

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

as in things

something to be dealt with we must take care of this matter before it becomes a real problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in mails

communications or parcels sent or carried through the postal system first-class matter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

matters

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of matter

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

Noun

The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, and Canada’s Competition Bureau have worked together for decades on cross-border antitrust matters, including merger reviews and investigations into potential anticompetitive conduct. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 This combination matters when electronics need to communicate with biological systems. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 After all, media and recent cinema have trained us to need to feel big in all matters Palestine. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 The Executive Office for Immigration Review, the agency that runs the immigration courts at the DOJ, declined to comment on personnel matters in a statement Friday morning. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Reddington had to talk around this impasse, badgering Clancy’s providers about matters such as their use of telemedicine, as though this wasn’t standard practice. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 While minimalist makeup goes hand in hand with a minimalist approach, personalization matters. — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026 On Thursday, Pittman stated that personnel matters of public agencies, such as local school districts, do not rise to the level of federal judicial review. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 The records were too old to be digitized, Powers told the judge, adding that, just as the judge once did, Powers represents the city in other matters. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

Explain what matters to you, then ask the other person to do the same. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026 For them, hedging matters far less than their capacity building. — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026 If something matters to you, take one direct step instead of waiting for someone else to notice. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 The distinction matters because superconducting magnets must operate reliably under demanding radiation conditions. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 Cassia Bourne, a Redfin agent in Denver, regularly reminds clients how much light matters to a home’s feel. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026 What matters is the force, the urgency, and the necessity behind it. — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 The Green Bay Packers will play a football game that matters nine days from Friday. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 This matters to Warsh because Korea’s sizable, open economy often serves as an early-warning system for global inflection points. — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for matters

Noun

Some 27% of Americans use AI chatbots to discuss personal, emotional or social topics, with users under 50 more likely to do so, according to a recent poll from Elon University researchers and The Washington Post.

— Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026
Hossain ties up the fate of her complicated protagonist with a neat bow, leaving too many unanswered questions about the backstory and topics raised.

— Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of topics

Noun

Erin then complains about her daughter and drones on about all sorts of things that no one can even pretend to care about.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
These were pretty innocuous in the grand scheme of things, but were hanging as a PR headache for Ferrari heading to its home race.

— Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of things

Noun

The book-gifting program, part of the nonprofit Dollywood Foundation, mails free, high-quality books to children across the country and around the world once a month from birth to age 5.

— Kristy High, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Each month, the book gifting program mails free books to children from birth to age 5, regardless of their family’s income.

— Devarrick Turner, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of mails

Noun

Programs such as HyCAT are intended to provide more frequent opportunities to test technologies in realistic flight conditions, potentially allowing developers to identify problems earlier and iterate more quickly.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
The court also said any problems caused by the timing of the ruling is the fault of the secretary of state, who waited eight months before making a decision on the ballot initiative.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of problems

Verb

Chelsea’s less selective approach to selling within the Premier League means Arsenal have sent £149million to their fellow Londoners, more than to any other domestic rivals.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Terrific—carry on with your chubby little juice grenades and tell your partner that love means never criticizing someone’s convenience foods.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of means

Noun

At San Sebastián, the film is also in contention for the Sebastiane Award, an honor for films exploring LGBTQIA+ themes and experiences.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Inspired by one of Jordan’s many nicknames, the Black Cat line has become one of the most popular themes in the Air Jordan line.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of themes

Noun

According to the polling, Democrats can erode the GOP’s advantage on crime issues by tying Republicans’ votes against gun safety legislation to their backing from the firearms industry.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Securing 60 votes has emerged as a key challenge, with ethics provisions among the issues under negotiation.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of issues

Noun

The collection includes multiple correspondences between Stamp and the late Princess of Wales, from Christmas photos featuring her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to birthday cards.

— Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Police also allegedly found photos in the chatroom correspondences, according to Spadjinske.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026