rear 1 of 3

adjective

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
Definition of rearnext
as in back
being at or in the part of something opposite the front part go to the back of the building and look out the rear window and you'll see the eagle

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rear

2 of 3

noun

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
1
as in tail
a behind part or surface the rear of the car was sleekly designed

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2
as in seat
the part of the body upon which someone sits fell off her skates onto her rear

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rear

3 of 3

verb

ˈrir How to pronounce rear (audio)
1
as in to raise
to bring to maturity through care and education watched a documentary on how wolves rear their young

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2
as in to erect
to fix in an upright position it took all the men in the village to rear the frame for the barn, pulling hard at the ropes until all the sides were standing

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3
as in to build
to form by putting together parts or materials the city has plans for rearing a new convention center over the next two years

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4
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care an amateur who rears rare orchids in a professional-grade greenhouse

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rear contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rear are boost, elevate, heave, hoist, lift, and raise. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

When could boost be used to replace rear?

While the synonyms boost and rear are close in meaning, boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

How does the word elevate relate to other synonyms for rear?

Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

In what contexts can heave take the place of rear?

Although the words heave and rear have much in common, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When can hoist be used instead of rear?

While in some cases nearly identical to rear, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

When might lift be a better fit than rear?

The words lift and rear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

When is raise a more appropriate choice than rear?

The words raise and rear can be used in similar contexts, but raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

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 rear
Adjective
Power is routed to the rear wheels through a new six-speed manual gearbox. — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026 A lot of the components, like the front fender, underbody paneling, rear wing, and side panels, are made from carbon fiber. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
Biddy covered most of the journey on foot—the equivalent of about six million steps—herding animals at the rear of her owner’s wagon company and choking her way through a moving screen of dust kicked up by the migrant caravan. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 In 2022, the paparazzi leaked photos of the two holding hands, nestled into each other at a New York bar, and Holmes patting Robach on the rear. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Young Sly was a prime candidate for a life of thuggery, reared by parents who had no business raising kids. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 As climate change continues to rear its ugly head, this summer has been particularly brutal for much of the planet. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rear
  1. back
  2. seat
  3. raise
  4. erect
  5. build
  6. grow
  7. aft
  8. tail
Adjective
  • Some moderate flooding is possible in vulnerable back-bay communities before conditions gradually improve Thursday.
    — Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Living with neck and back pain from stress, tension, poor posture and other causes can seriously degrade your quality of life, but Therabody's latest innovation can help.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of back
Noun
  • The supplier will still need to complete development, testing and certification before the seats enter production.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For a company increasingly focused on taking humans out of the driver’s seat, the Roadster reminds us that driving can still be part of the attraction.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of seat
Verb
  • Japan has also raised concern over China's gradual escalation of its military activity around remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Converse’s sales hemorrhage raises fair questions about whether this is more than a cyclical decline.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of raise
Verb
  • Moore’s statue will be erected outside the Bleymaier Football Center at the northeast corner of Albertsons Stadium, where the base has already been installed.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And, as a sign of how sentiments have shifted, a monument was erected in Massachusetts just nine years ago to mark the site of the most famous public hangings – 19 people accused of witchcraft in 1692 Salem.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of erect
Verb
  • Fellow delivery workers built a memorial outside the grocery store, according to the station.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In order to be helpful, Muse constantly builds extensive dossiers of users and their desires, social relationships, and messaging behaviors, TIME’s Harry Booth reported this month.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of build
Verb
  • Japan considers China's rapidly growing military activities in and around Japan, including in the Pacific Ocean, as a threat and has fortified its southwestern region with longer-range missiles and interceptors in recent years.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Running Tide had struggled to grow kelp offshore at scale and shifted toward deployments of wood chips mixed with alkaline substances, said former general manager Kristinn Hróbjartsson.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of grow
Adjective
  • The port hull also houses a children’s cabin with four berths and an aft guest cabin, while the starboard hull features a second guest cabin, along with the crew quarters.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Lake of Dreams show still feels like an oddly charming fever dream—projections, puppetry, and music best experienced from SW, Lakeside, or the aft-deck fantasy bar literally called Aft.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of aft
Noun
  • Venice, Vienna, London, then years on the Proffers’ couch in Ann Arbor, then New York, a story ending, eventually, with coat tails, in Stockholm, receiving the Nobel Prize.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • There is nothing truly random about whether a coin comes up heads or tails.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of tail

Phrases Containing rear

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Cite this Entry

“Rear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rear. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rear

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rear

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