notify

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb notify differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of notify are acquaint, apprise, and inform. While all these words mean "to make one aware of something," notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action.

notified the witness when to appear

When can acquaint be used instead of notify?

Although the words acquaint and notify have much in common, acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with.

acquaint yourself with the keyboard

When might apprise be a better fit than notify?

In some situations, the words apprise and notify are roughly equivalent. However, apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance.

keep us apprised of the situation

When could inform be used to replace notify?

While in some cases nearly identical to notify, inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

informed us of the crisis

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 notify On June 16, Krispy Kreme began notifying over 160,000 people affected by a November data breach. Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025 He had also been notified about needing a special permit for owning more than 10 dogs, though the current number of dogs in his care is unclear. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 7 Oct. 2025 Levi’s family was notified of his murder 62 days later, the organization said. Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025 Create an Amazon Wishlist for notifications Add items to your Amazon Wishlist now to track price drops and get notified when deals go live. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for notify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notify
Verb
  • The only way attorneys knew their client was detained at the site was because a family member informed them following a phone call from one of the phones located inside cells at the facility.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
  • And then another thing to keep in mind is the importance of being informed, knowing what’s going on in the world.
    María Mérida, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sleep problems Men can ask their primary care doctors to perform a blood test to check their testosterone levels, Munger advised.
    Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • If Your Party wants to avoid a similar fate, it would be well advised to be disciplined and electorally oriented—and to drop single-issue activism, hostility to Labour, and inept, baggage-laden figures such as Corbyn.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Notify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notify. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on notify

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