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
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Sashko had his earbuds in and was listening to music.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
-
After the Lakers dropped a 125-107 decision, James and his teammates were standing near midcourt, listening intently as Austin Reaves demonstratively spoke to referees.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Sangwoo agrees, remembering their journey on the show.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
In 2019, Hanks reflected on the lasting significance of Saving Private Ryan in an interview with NBC News, emphasizing the importance of remembering the individuals who sacrificed their lives during D-Day and throughout the war.—
Lizzie Hyman,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Dupree confided in Firecracker about how his church was destroyed by one of Homelander's obeying supes and asked for her help in rebuilding.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Footage from the scene shows the group obeying police instructions when a plain clothes officer grabbed Salman’s hand, twisting it and causing a fracture in her wrist.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In practice, this means noticing the moment that your brain begins replaying an embarrassing scene and deliberately refusing to elaborate on it further.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
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How the Slurpee became an American staple The Slurpee traces its roots back to the 1960s, when businessman Omar Knedlik developed a machine that partially froze soft drinks after noticing customers enjoyed semi-frozen sodas at his Dairy Queen franchise in Kansas.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The show’s characters idled away their time watching programs like Years of Our Days to Live.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Severe storms are expected Monday evening into overnight across the Kansas City region, and while that’s forecasters’ main concern, the National Weather Service is also watching a conditional chance for a few thunderstorms to pop up near the Kansas-Missouri line mid-afternoon.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Griswold's office is responsible for supervising Colorado's elections and maintaining the statewide file of voter registrations.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Leaders increasingly must learn how to orchestrate systems rather than simply manage processes—from supervising individual workflows to coordinating intelligent networks, and from controlling static operations to adapting continuously evolving environments.—
Mira Tzur,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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La Mesa’s enforcement of reckless e-bike riding has been slim-to-none, Lothian said, noting that the police chief said the city has issued just 3 e-bike citations to date.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Bastrop County detectives found evidence that Aviles had been dragged, strangled and assaulted, noting mud on her clothing and feet, bruising on her neck, chin and lip, and blood on her face and the exterior of her car.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Johnson dedicated his entertainer win to fellow nominee Luke Combs, recalling how Combs has missed the birth of his youngest son, Chet Wiley Combs, while the two were on tour together in Australia.—
Stephen Hubbard,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
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One then gets even angrier upon recalling that the good ol’ US of A helped Barbie avoid imprisonment for three decades after the war.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Minding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minding. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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