PARENTHESES Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

parentheses

noun

plural of parenthesis

as in intervals

a break in continuity there was a parenthesis of silence when the microphone momentarily lost power

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 parentheses The tutor recognized the expression, asked him to clarify his parentheses, and guided him through a second application of the difference-of-squares pattern. — Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The number in parentheses after each player’s name indicates the round in which he was taken — CBA equals Competitive Balance Round A, which comes after the first round, and CBB equals Competitive Balance Round B, which comes after the second round. — Keith Law, New York Times, 16 July 2026 Top 10 best malls Here are USA Today readers’ 2026 selections of their favorite malls in the United States with last year’s rank in parentheses. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026 Top 10 With records through Monday and previous rankings in parentheses. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2026 The prose is hypnotic, all the more so for its many digressions and parentheses, unveiling tiny set pieces like so many Fabergé eggs. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Salary values for 2026-27 in parentheses. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026 The last two highlight lines alter the way Vim highlights matching parentheses by changing the highlight method to an underline instead of a big full-height cursor-emulating block. — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026 At one point in the Symposium on Young American Men, one of the few female panelists named a statistic about suicidal thoughts among young men—then, as if in parentheses, added that the rate was even higher for women. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parentheses

Noun

Save intervals, heavy lifts and hard runs for earlier in the evening or the next morning.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
That translates into maintenance sessions at five- to eight-year intervals.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of intervals

Noun

High performers, facing escalating demands and constant interruptions, often mask underlying organizational weaknesses like unclear priorities or insufficient resources, making systemic issues difficult to detect.

— Kim Meninger, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Adults who received the treatment reported sleeping longer and having fewer sleep interruptions, with effects lasting up to six months.

— Erica Sweeney, EverydayHealth.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of interruptions

Noun

Despite his enduring success, Rollins was never quite satisfied with his art, occasionally taking lengthy hiatuses from playing and consistently adopting eclectic new styles.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 May 2026
Over nearly two decades, BIGBANG has weathered member departures, legal controversies, and years-long hiatuses.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 20 Mar. 2026

Definition of hiatuses

Noun

The gaps show that frontier capability and practical deployment move at different speeds without discounting AI’s gains.

— Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
As of Tuesday, 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks — gaps in vegetation designed to impede fire spread — have been completed, the prefecture said.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Definition of gaps

Noun

But if the thief can listen closely as the dial turns, small clicks or churns or pauses might reveal something about what is happening inside.

— Chetan Jaiswal, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
But with inflation still comfortably above the central bank's target 2% goal and the potential for that rate to rise even higher on the back of geopolitical tensions and overseas conflicts, the period of Fed rate pauses may soon be ending.

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Definition of pauses

Browse Nearby Words

parented

parentheses

parenthesis

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Parentheses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parentheses. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of parentheses

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on parentheses

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

spindrift

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes