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as in to celebrate
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony a time when few people in New England observed Christmas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word observe different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of observe are celebrate, commemorate, and keep. While all these words mean "to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed," observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.

not all holidays are observed nationally

When is celebrate a more appropriate choice than observe?

The meanings of celebrate and observe largely overlap; however, celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.

traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner

When is it sensible to use commemorate instead of observe?

Although the words commemorate and observe have much in common, commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.

commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

When could keep be used to replace observe?

While the synonyms keep and observe are close in meaning, keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.

kept the Sabbath by refraining from work

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 observe The brightness Pettit observed is one of the worries, as these Starlink trains — usually most apparent shortly after launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket — can interfere with astronomical observations. Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025 Although this is the first time elevations of the Alzheimer’s disease marker pTau217 have been observed in newborns, extensive phosphorylation of tau has previously been reported in the developing brain. Robert Martone, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025 The visitor complex was built in 1967 as a place for astronauts and their families to observe space center operations, and today visitors can touch a piece of the moon, stand nose-to-nose with a real space shuttle and experience a simulated rocket launch. Mariette Williams, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025 Users were observed uploading sensitive code and other corporate documents to ChatGPT, using both enterprise and personal accounts. PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for observe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observe
Verb
  • All of the other forces of nature obey something called parity symmetry.
    Paul Sutter, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The realization of such quantum machines would require experimenters having access to reliable physical components that can be assembled and controlled on the human scale, yet fully obey quantum mechanics.
    Zhixin Wang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The unforgettable moment took an emotional turn when Robert Stack read a letter, written by Arnaz on his deathbed, that celebrated Ball in that moment of achievement.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • To celebrate the milestone, Oaktree is releasing a digital archive of all Marks' writings along with a collection of his 45 favorites.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Go birding at River Commons Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a morning of bird watching Wednesday at River Commons, a 100-acre tract administered by the Watershed Conservation Resource Center.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Subscribers can also watch on Prime Video or through Amazon Live, which is available on desktop, the Amazon Shopping app and the Amazon Live channel within the Prime Video app.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Seeing New England in the top 10 in both QB EPA (Drake Maye is sixth) and defense/special teams EPA (10th) reflects well on the Patriots under first-year coach Mike Vrabel.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Welcoming Muttaqi to Delhi reflects this approach.
    Happymon Jacob, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Shout out to @CamInman who noticed the 49ers had just 10 defenders (three linemen) on the play on which Fred Warner was injured.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Other rockers are starting to notice this positive trend, and theorize about why the kids are connecting so hard with bands who aren’t remotely humanized.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In his candid remarks on earnings calls, Karp doesn’t always follow advice for talking points.
    Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
  • All crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan were shut on Sunday following ongoing clashes.
    Happymon Jacob, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, faced criticism from some conservatives over a social media post commemorating Native American Day instead of Columbus Day—but his state was the first to end recognition of Columbus Day.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In 2024, the brand dedicated itself to commemorating National Hot Flash Day, acknowledging the idiosyncratic changes women’s bodies go through during menopause.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Investors are eyeing a stock market rebound after Friday’s trade war flare-up sent the S&P 500 to its worst loss since April.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
  • If the Phillies end up losing Schwarber to free agency, bringing in an All-Star like Tucker long term would be a great addition as the team eyes a return to the playoffs next season.
    Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Observe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observe. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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