rent 1 of 2

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
The average rent for all bedrooms in all property types in Denver is $2,205, while the average rent for all bedrooms in apartments and condos is $1,841, according to an early July Zillow analysis of the Colorado rental market. Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 16 July 2025 While the Upland decision involved a licensing fee on marijuana dispensaries, a 2019 San Francisco Superior Court applied it to commercial rent tax and gross receipts tax measures. Marc Joffe, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
Verb
Camping gear will be available to rent and use on one of six campsites. Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2025 Frost allegedly spent $230,000 to rent a vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine and $140,000 on jewelry. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for rent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
Noun
  • Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissues, which then triggers an inflammatory process in your body that results in that sore sensation, as SELF previously reported.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 18 July 2025
  • In 2024, Rice suffered an ACL tear and played in only four games after a dominant rookie season.
    David Close, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • The report provides an analysis of base compensation, cash bonuses, and equity—including compensation perception gaps between first-time and seasoned CFOs.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 10 July 2025
  • The changes should spur the expansion of housing in urban areas that are close to jobs and transportation and make an impactful contribution toward addressing the housing crisis in California by narrowing the gap between housing demand and supply.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Will the dozens of new opportunities to lease federal land for energy production lead to even more drilling and mining? Unable to view our graphics?
    Jim Sergent, USA Today, 11 July 2025
  • What the buildings will be used for Cincinnati Children's will use part of its building to open a new pediatric primary care office, staffed by 21 employees, and lease the rest of the building out to other companies.
    Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • With less than a month before school begins, Gary Community School Corp. staffers made one thing clear during Thursday’s school board meeting – the district is hiring.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025
  • The Sisters of Bon Secours – the nuns who ran the home from 1925 to 1961 – hired a consulting company that denied a mass grave altogether, saying there was no evidence children had been buried there.
    Kara Fox, CNN Money, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • These white jeans that come in a classic straight-leg style and have a breezy side slit.
    Nicol Natale, People.com, 11 July 2025
  • When approaching a sea turtle egg, the ghost crab will snip a distinctive slit into eggshells.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Toronto has plenty of holes in the roster to add talent.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
  • It's rumored that there are 18 holes on a course because there are 18 shots in a bottle of scotch.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Topline Congress appears to have backed off of deeper slashes to next year’s National Park Service budget, as advocacy groups mobilize public support through grassroots campaigns.
    Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • In the early-dinner hours, before nightfall, white slashes of sunlight slip through cracks in the horizontal blinds and play through the dusky interior like a laser show.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 6 July 2025
Noun
  • Cruz and Caminero each hit 21 long balls and Buxton had 20 in the opening round.
    Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
  • The opening of the film is a brief origin story for each of the four men and gives their characters a depth that was largely ignored in typical 1970’s thrillers.
    Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rent. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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