rent 1 of 2

Definition of rentnext
1
as in tear
a long deep cut getting her skirt caught on a nail resulted in a four-inch rent that she couldn't possibly repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

rent

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lease
to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment we rented the apartment to a college student for $500 a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum will need to rent a car while we're in Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rent different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rent are charter, hire, lease, and let. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

Where would charter be a reasonable alternative to rent?

The words charter and rent can be used in similar contexts, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of rent?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When would lease be a good substitute for rent?

The meanings of lease and rent largely overlap; however, lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

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 rent
Noun
Households already facing budget strains—including rising costs of rent, groceries, and fuel—are already delaying technology purchases until prices come down in the US, the CTA reported. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026 The tax would apply to qualifying taxable purchases but would not apply to groceries, prescription medicine, rent or property taxes. — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
Ariana Grande rented a penthouse here while filming the two Wicked movies at nearby Elstree Studios, and later named a song on her album after the area. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026 Unlike Google's tensor processing units or Amazon's Inferentia and Trainium, Microsoft's accelerators can't be rented by the hour to other companies. — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
Noun
  • Sunday night, when the 48-year-old Abraham became the 15th member inducted into the Falcons’ Ring of Honor at halftime of the team’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, tears were certainly in play.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Across campus, students raised trembling voices, burst into applause, and brushed away tears.
    — Jeannine Chiang, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The new version centers on Dalin, a single mother who designs bridal gowns and whose devotion to her job has opened a gap between her and her 10-year-old daughter Mina.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But the artist has left gaps where the musician had personal photos of friends and family framed.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Visa recently leased 300,000 square feet of office space, Barclays just bought its headquarters for £750 million, and Citi is investing more than $1 billion in its European HQ.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In Terrell County, residents unsuccessfully urged officials not to lease airport land to a barrier contractor.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Chesney told fans during a UCLA men’s basketball game shortly after he was hired that the football team is playing for banners.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, public records show the firms hired to represent the officials racked up hefty legal bills, with some lawyers charging the state $800 an hour.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The focal point of the look was the gold zipper detail lining the thigh-high slit of the dress, with an oversize pull-tab making a statement.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Cut a slit into the top of each pastry to vent, then brush the tops with more egg wash.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the 1980s, when Parisian fashion was all power shoulders and cinched waists, a group of Japanese designers arrived with black clothes, asymmetry, holes and new silhouettes.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Residents enjoy a Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course, miles of hiking and biking trails, tennis and pickleball courts, and endless opportunities on Lake Keowee, including boating, swimming, or simply quiet moments on the water.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Anthony Boyle and Julia Garner star as the lovers turned co-founders, the duo who set out to use crypto for good, kind of, but also for profit, kind of, in a business venture–slash–possible fraud that turned the whole world upside down.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The dry winter prompted counties statewide to ban slash burning, which some rural landowners rely on in part to dispose of beetle-kill.
    — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Frémaux also turned the opening ceremony into his customary crash course in Lyon cinema history.
    — Lise Pedersen, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • That starts with not playing from behind basically from the opening shift.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rent. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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