1
as in listening
to pay attention especially through the act of hearing
you'll be in big trouble if you don't straighten up and mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in remembering
chiefly dialect
to bring back to mind
I seem to mind such a tale from way back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obeying
to act according to the commands of
tell the children to mind the babysitter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in noticing
to be cautious of or on guard against
mind the slippery steps
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in watching
to have an interest or concern for
don't mind him; he's always complaining
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in supervising
to take charge of especially on behalf of another
the salesperson will mind the store while the manager goes out to lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in noting
to take notice of and be guided by
mind the instructions that appear at the top of the first page of the exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of minding
The other kids must have found its inhabitants repulsive or boring, but I was drawn to a cobra that was lying flat out and minding its own business.
—
John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Fifty years ago, Rick Monday was minding his own business, tending to center field for the Chicago Cubs in a game at Dodger Stadium.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Moton was sitting on his phone, minding his own business, when Norman suddenly yawned and swatted her hand in his direction.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Darwin is an octopus who’s minding his own business when he’s suddenly ripped out of the ocean and thrown into a junkyard.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
After all, Kay had spent her girlhood minding a growing brood of siblings in a series of small Chinatown apartments with a father whose income could not always sustain a family in much comfort.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
One person refuses to bow — not an army, not a revolution, one stubborn Jew minding his own business — and Haman cannot function.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
Don Lemon – Just earlier this month, the good brother Don was minding his Black business covering an ICE protest when Nicki’s idle fingers started insulting the broadcast journalist on social media.
—Bridgette Bartlett Royall, Essence, 30 Jan. 2026
Especially Gina, who honestly was just minding her business, hanging out with her boyfriend’s daughter, and winds up getting accused of incompetence by her own boyfriend.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Fifty years ago, Rick Monday was minding his own business, tending to center field for the Chicago Cubs in a game at Dodger Stadium.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Moton was sitting on his phone, minding his own business, when Norman suddenly yawned and swatted her hand in his direction.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Darwin is an octopus who’s minding his own business when he’s suddenly ripped out of the ocean and thrown into a junkyard.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
After all, Kay had spent her girlhood minding a growing brood of siblings in a series of small Chinatown apartments with a father whose income could not always sustain a family in much comfort.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
One person refuses to bow — not an army, not a revolution, one stubborn Jew minding his own business — and Haman cannot function.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
Don Lemon – Just earlier this month, the good brother Don was minding his Black business covering an ICE protest when Nicki’s idle fingers started insulting the broadcast journalist on social media.
—Bridgette Bartlett Royall, Essence, 30 Jan. 2026
Especially Gina, who honestly was just minding her business, hanging out with her boyfriend’s daughter, and winds up getting accused of incompetence by her own boyfriend.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minding
Verb
-
Jacobs continued trailing the elk—looking for signs of browse and prints and always listening for the faintest sound—for the next four days and forty miles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Nearly 350 bands have already applied to play the event, which means Schwartz and his organizers have a lot of listening to do.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Family members and former colleagues are remembering retired Fire Chief Mike Beatty as a dedicated public servant whose nearly 30-year career helped shape the Lake Forest Fire Department during a period of significant growth and change.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Kaminer said the best takeaways from his experience was making new friends with his rescuers and remembering to always go with a group of experienced cavers.—
Kristie Keleshian,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
For years, Alabama had balked at obeying a series of orders, including from the Supreme Court itself, to insure that its Black voters have a voice in how they are governed.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
In 2013, Southern Stars players were blackmailed into obeying instructions by having their salaries withheld.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Many are noticing the impact their reliance on technology has had on their relationships, and are craving real personal connections.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
7 June 2026
-
The taboo is calling into question what a society instills in its people—all of its people—without their even noticing.—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Some of those same fans were present Monday evening, watching the national team through gaps in the outer fence around Rock Chalk Park or holding their phones above the fence to take pictures and video.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
-
Boxed out of the free watch party at Bryant Park that some attendees said sold out in one minute, a handful of fans are watching together on a tablet.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Instead of acting as intermediaries, humans focus on defining policies, supervising system behavior and handling exceptions.—
Krupesh Bhat,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The defendant, 36, who has not been publicly identified, is accused of assaulting children while supervising them in bathrooms, during lunch breaks and in after-school care between August 2024 and April 2025.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Some Dutch players went for a walk on the County Club Plaza near their hotel on Tuesday, and van Dijk, noting few pedestrians, thought the heat kept people inside.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
-
Both Benedetti in his letter and Read, via her suit, took issue with the timing of his discipline, noting that State Police knew about the messages as early as 2024.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
These flourishes, recalling New York’s Jazz Age flamboyance, give the vast interior its fizz — and will inevitably have value engineers salivating to trim, slice, and simplify.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
-
Kia is voluntarily recalling thousands of vehicles due to a possible defect with the seatbelt that could increase the risk of injury in a crash.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Minding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minding. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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