rates 1 of 3

Definition of ratesnext
plural of rate
1
2
as in ratios
the relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or more things the exchange rate was 10 pesos to the dollar when we visited Mexico

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rates

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of rate
1
as in deserves
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment) how does a summer intern rate a new computer when I've been told to make do with this clunker?

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in ranks
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes a restaurant that consistently rates high in all the standard categories

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in regards
to think of in a particular way I would rate her my best friend; after all, she's always been there when I needed her

Synonyms & Similar Words

rates

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of rate

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 rates
Noun
The escalating costs for energy are particularly troubling, as electric rates have increased by 36% for many New Yorkers in the last three years with more increases coming. Robert Duffy, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026 Of Duluth’s 37 census tracts, 13 have childhood EBLL rates higher than the statewide average. Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2026 And where to get the lowest (or highest) interest rates. Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026 Infertility rates are rising and many people are choosing to have children later in life. Rachel Hosie, SELF, 16 Feb. 2026 In January, Sheinbaum held up a sharp decline in homicide rates last year as evidence that her security strategy was working. Aarón Ibarra, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026 The new Children’s Advocacy Center, slated to open next year, would offer services in a region with some of the highest rates of child abuse in Santa Clara County, filling a need that has been unfilled for years. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026 The world needs lithium at higher rates than ever before. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026 At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, warm temperatures were blamed in part for high crash and injury rates. Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
The group then rates hospitals on 31 condition and procedure groups, from heart attacks to total knee replacements, with a focus on clinical outcomes. Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Feb. 2026 The map rates neighborhoods with A+, a dark green color meaning safe, to F, in a red color meaning least safe. Sarah Lapidus, AZCentral.com, 12 Feb. 2026 Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas is an option, too, though Brugler rates him (57th) lower than Young. Jesse Newell, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026 Comparing offensive and defensive units, Seattle rates a slight edge with each. Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026 The district has shifted from likely Republican to likely Democratic, according to Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan organization that rates House races. Mathew Miranda february 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Feb. 2026 The FoodHealth Score rates items from 1 to 100 based on their nutritional value. Philip Joens, Des Moines Register, 29 Jan. 2026 The team rates shots on a scale of 1-10, with an uncontested layup or a wide-open 3-pointer ranking at the top of the range. Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026 The Cook Political Report rates his seat as Solid Republican in the midterms, classifying it among the least competitive House races this year. Chantelle Lee, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rates
Noun
  • But with the war showing no sign of ending, how long those qualities can keep him in power is an open question.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • But while this may help some artists, others continue to credit the ineffable qualities of music composition.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Expense ratios are essentially administrative fees.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
  • By combining observations of these ratios in the samples with prior estimates of core silicon, the researchers were then able to approximate the amount of core hydrogen.
    Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Department of Homeland Security has said that the facilities meet federal detention standards and undergo regular audits and inspections.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Both the Times of London and the Daily Telegraph reviewed Newman’s book poorly, with an air of anti-woke ennui, accusing her of imposing contemporary moral standards on the vices of the past.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rates. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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