pads 1 of 3

plural of pad
1
as in notebooks
a number of sheets of writing paper glued together at one edge the waitress keeps a pad in the pocket of her apron to write down orders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
as in buffers
something that serves as a protective barrier a pad on the chair to keep it from getting scratched

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

pads

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of pad

pads

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of pad

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 pads
Noun
These pads smooth pores, reduce blackheads, and keep oil under control. Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 27 June 2026 These easy-to-use toning pads help exfoliate, refine the appearance of pores and reduce excess oil for a smooth, clear complexion. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 Ultimately, these victories felt more like personal achievements than launching pads. Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Regardia arrived Thursday morning to drop off hygiene items like pads, tampons and body soap. Lucio Vasquez, NPR, 26 June 2026 Additionally, the report cites serious concerns about a six-decade-old electricity distribution system for NASA’s launch pads. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026 But before the pads go on this summer, now felt like a good time to preview how each position group compares to the others. James Boyd, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Look forward to seeing him in pads. Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026 At one practice during the fall of 2024, Washington’s assistant athletic director of football academics Diamond Brown was standing on the sideline when Jonah bounded up to her in full pads and begun complaining about his grade in a music class. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 2026
Verb
In other words, the additional money that our companies are shelling out to cover higher memory costs ultimately pads these three companies’ bottom lines. Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 21 June 2026 Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book. Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement. Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 The exchange is indicative of this odd, frustrating, occasionally intriguing project, which pads out scarce but real nuggets of insight with leading questions and endless clips. Alison Herman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025 Stanfield is the second new face named this month, after French actor Paul Kircher, as Anderson pads out the ranks of his men’s ambassadors following a rash of appointments on the women’s side. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pads
Noun
  • The best smart notebooks This smart notebook fits in a pocket, has 48 reusable pages and comes with the Pilot Frixion pen required for note-taking.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Lunch boxes, markers, notebooks and notebook filler paper.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Larger rooms include dressing areas, king-size beds, and deep soaking tubs.
    Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • Storage beds are a game-changer for small homes and city apartments.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • Not every farm or field has enough leftover nutrients to maintain yields with less fertilizer, and the buffers that do exist in some fields will not last indefinitely.
    Nandita Basu, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
  • Reducing capital would heighten risks for depositors and taxpayers in future financial crises, as robust capital buffers are essential safeguards.
    Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • Attics get hot because roofs are exposed to the sun for hours, radiating heat inside.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • That's particularly true for those living directly under the roofs of Paris — who often cannot afford larger, lower-floor apartments less impacted by direct sun.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Summer is a vibrant, splashy season, so why not opt for a mani that colors outside the lines?
    Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 19 June 2026
  • Moon sign, which colors their emotional self.
    Maressa Brown, Parents, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • This stone stays cool even in direct sunlight, with varied blues complementing the historic stonework and bluestone stair treads.
    Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026
  • The paper treads similar ground as previous research, which has noted large language models’ ability to search genomes for genes that have been sequenced after a patient was first seen in a hospital.
    Jared Perlo, NBC news, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • The spend on technology that includes laptops, tablets and headphones averaged $222.
    Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 24 June 2026
  • Amazon house brand products like Kindle tablets, Echo smart speakers, Fire TV devices and smart TVs, eero routers, Ring and Blink security cameras, and more will be discounted.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Instruments were replaced with couches; the control room is now a walk-in closet.
    Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • Additionally, its slim design ensures it can be tucked behind beds or couches with no trouble.
    Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pads. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pads

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster