1
as in booking
to arrange to have something (as a hotel room) held for one's future use
we made sure to reserve a kennel for our dog several months before the start of the family vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in retaining
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I'm reserving the right to work by myself if you don't do your share of the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dedicating
to keep or intend for a special purpose
we must reserve this cup for ceremonial use only
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reserving
The cruise line's official policy about reserving chairs can be found on its company website.
—
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Ticket prices are based on bringing your own chair or reserving a chair.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Transfer chicken to a large plate and let rest for 10 minutes (temperature will continue to rise to 165°F), reserving drippings in skillet.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Stir most of the hazelnuts into the beetroot mixture, reserving some for garnish.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 May 2026
The reserving-a-sun-lounger wars have reached a new level.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Scrape the yogurt into a large bowl, reserving the empty container.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 9 May 2026
Those who already nabbed a controller during the initial launch are barred from reserving another unit, for now.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 7 May 2026
Relying on satellite links to transmit data between the nodes and customers means dealing with limited bandwidth and signal delays—there is a reason data centers still use fiber-optic cables to transmit large amounts of data quickly while reserving satellite links as backups.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 5 May 2026
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Ticket prices are based on bringing your own chair or reserving a chair.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Transfer chicken to a large plate and let rest for 10 minutes (temperature will continue to rise to 165°F), reserving drippings in skillet.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Stir most of the hazelnuts into the beetroot mixture, reserving some for garnish.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 May 2026
The reserving-a-sun-lounger wars have reached a new level.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Scrape the yogurt into a large bowl, reserving the empty container.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 9 May 2026
Those who already nabbed a controller during the initial launch are barred from reserving another unit, for now.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 7 May 2026
Relying on satellite links to transmit data between the nodes and customers means dealing with limited bandwidth and signal delays—there is a reason data centers still use fiber-optic cables to transmit large amounts of data quickly while reserving satellite links as backups.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reserving
Verb
-
When asked for basic tips on booking a flight, Potter had two answers.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
-
Hyatt Regency Lake Washington Budding aviators, plane geeks and those looking for any type of airport job can get a sneak peek without even booking an airline ticket.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Clean streets, safe neighborhoods, reliable infrastructure, and vibrant commercial corridors are essential to attracting and retaining talent and businesses.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Thomson, who was born in Ontario, Canada, played for the University of Kansas Jayhawks in the 1980s, leading the team in hits in the 1984 and 1985 seasons and retaining the school’s record for the highest single-season batting average.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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This is especially important for a municipality such as Chicago, where the pension funds remain vastly underfunded despite dedicating immense resources — about 17% of the total budget and 76% of property tax revenue — to annual pension contributions.—
Mary Wagoner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
-
Barker says she's made a personal goal of dedicating 40 races to her grandson, Ford.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
Verb
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When Tracy was elevated from Triple-A to the big leagues Breslow didn’t rule out hiring a permanent manager midseason.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The airline has been hiring crew members from the defunct Spirit Airlines and expanding its pilot base at FLL.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Taken together, the two measures highlight a growing tension in a state that prides itself on stewardship of the environment, as policymakers aim to protect threatened or endangered animals while also keeping people, pets and livestock safe.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Studies found little real difference, but the new patent was an effective tool for keeping generics at bay and continuing to collect monopoly profits.—
Wayne T Brough,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Verb
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After devoting the offseason and spring training to improving his mechanics and approach, Rincon has looked like a different player.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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This has Americans devoting a greater share of their paycheck to gas.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Ahead of the endorsement vote, Klobuchar supporters holding batons with flashing green lights dominated the convention floor.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Through rapid technological changes and the growing use of AI, employees are saving a lot of time on repetitive tasks, brainstorming, team collaboration and many other activities that AI can now support.—
Gwen Mdinaradze,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Jack Lloyd, the prolific East Bay engineer, entrepreneur and inventor, whose innovations include making the pulse oximeter, a life-saving medical device indispensable in hospitals worldwide, has died at age 90, his family announced this week.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserving. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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