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

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
Unemployment benefits in California top out at $450 a week, which doesn’t begin to cover rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, where the average rent is well over $2,700 a month. Crystal Villarreal, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026 For parents juggling rent, child care and multiple jobs, that choice isn’t ideological. Jacquelyn Martell, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
From Matagorda Bay Nature Park, rent a kayak (or bring your own) and paddle across the river. Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026 The tax could be avoided if the owner or a relative lived in the house for at least 183 days a year, or rented it out. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
Noun
  • Out back on the patio, a pair of angels cry red blood tears into a fountain, skeletons escape their open coffins and a hooded skull peers over the tables like a Gordon Ramsay grim reaper.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • That brought Aubry to tears — not an uncommon sight … less common than Rizo, sure, but still, not uncommon.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Engineers also conducted tuft testing on wheel fairings and panel gaps to validate real-world airflow against computer simulations, refining aerodynamic efficiency and vehicle fit.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Local politics observers predicted Drayton could tighten that gap and present Leake’s biggest obstacle yet.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Forcing millions of people to give up their subsidy every few years could also rattle the private landlords who lease to those with a housing voucher.
    Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The nonprofit leases the buildings back to DPS, which allows Denver School Facilities to mortgage the buildings with a bank trustee that collateralizes the buildings in exchange for debt proceeds, according to the lawsuit.
    Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Second, severe winter storms likely put a big damper on hiring in weather-sensitive industries like construction and leisure and hospitality.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Mass layoffs in the tech industry started in 2022, after a hiring surge during the pandemic, when demand for online services increased as people were stuck at home.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Despite his impassive eyes, balding pate, and slit of a smile, Robert Duvall could be volcanic and melancholic, mysterious and straightforward, vengeful and merciful.
    Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Only a little slit of neck flesh was exposed.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Congress and the White House are digging a deep, deep hole for our children.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Video from the scene showed multiple bullet holes in a car windshield.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Automata follows combat android 2B, scanner android 9S, and the prototype A2, with core hack-and-slash gameplay that's supplemented by elements from other genres, including RPGS and bullet-hell shmups.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Every detail of Canadian/American (and the slash here is intentionally indicating a romantic relationship versus a friend or co-worker vibe) civics was sillier than the last.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • There’s a palpable fear that her smashmouth attack style won’t work, and his collaborative politics might, in a red state where a Republican primary pileup has given Democrats a rare opening.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser also referenced the Epstein files in her opening monologue in January.
    Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rent. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

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