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prompt

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adjective

prompt

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective prompt contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prompt are apt, quick, and ready. While all these words mean "able to respond without delay or hesitation or indicative of such ability," prompt is more likely to connote training and discipline that fits one for instant response.

prompt emergency medical care

When is apt a more appropriate choice than prompt?

The meanings of apt and prompt largely overlap; however, apt stresses the possession of qualities (such as intelligence, a particular talent, or a strong bent) that makes quick effective response possible.

an apt student
her answer was apt and to the point

In what contexts can quick take the place of prompt?

Although the words quick and prompt have much in common, quick stresses instancy of response and is likely to connote native rather than acquired power.

quick reflexes
a keen quick mind

Where would ready be a reasonable alternative to prompt?

The words ready and prompt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ready suggests facility or fluency in response.

backed by a pair of ready assistants

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 prompt
Verb
Their set will come from prompts given to them and audience interactions. Andrew McGowan, Variety, 19 Aug. 2025 In the Phone app, the prompt will appear on the homepage above the call log. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
In February, 2023, photographs of a Chinese spy balloon over Billings, Montana, prompted speculation about aliens. Matthew Hutson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025 Jeffers also missed the series opener against the Royals, prompting the Twins to add Jhonny Peredes to the active roster to catch Pablo López’s return after three months away due to a shoulder muscle injury. David Brown, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
Streamlined inspection arrangements would be required to facilitate prompt IAEA access to suspect sites, including military and other sensitive facilities. Robert J. Einhorn, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025 The ship was damaged that same year in a fire, but made a prompt return to work in 2016. Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prompt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prompt
Verb
  • Honey can contain Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause infant botulism.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Stander and colleagues have been leading the effort and were previously urged by Florida state officials to try it.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the main opposition People Power Party in Korea, urged President Lee on Saturday to take swift action, citing broader repercussions to other Korean businesses.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Steven Pruett is the president and CEO of Elevation Resources, a Permian Basin oil company, and the immediate past chair of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, one of the industry’s main trade groups.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Here is a quick tour through recent vision tech, with examples of prescription eyeglasses tailored to specific uses.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Fessceruna 3-Piece Loungewear Set Fessceruna’s three-piece loungewear set is perfect for cozying up at home on the couch, running quick errands, and enduring long travel days.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Some buildings downtown offer harrowing reminders of this dark history.
    Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Tanks rumbled through Tiananmen Square, a location that offered a stark reminder of how authoritarian states can violently crush democratic movements.
    Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When interviewed by officers, Burns admitted to creating multiple social media accounts to distribute and receive child pornography, including files of prepubescent children, the release states.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In interviews, real estate lawyers said that mortgage lenders are typically well aware of their clients’ other loans and sometimes even encourage the primary-residence language for second homes.
    Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Participants are encouraged to bring sleeping bags and food.
    Lauren Costantino September 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Newsom issued a swift response via social media.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The best responses are blunt, swift, and leave no space between words and action.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Prompt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prompt. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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