reserving

verb

present participle of reserve
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

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 reserving New demarcations of Indigenous lands are expected to be frozen, under the argument that reserving territory hinders mining, agricultural expansion, and growth. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 The house wine list would greatly benefit from including a rosé option rather than reserving it exclusively for the Manager’s Wine List, which incurs an additional charge. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Automating classification while reserving human review for high-risk cases strengthens governance, improves compliance and reduces the risk of sensitive data exposure. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, drain 2 cans of pineapple tidbits, reserving the syrup. — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026 Wilms says that creators that want to generate microdrama subscriptions can utilize the memberships feature, perhaps giving viewers a few episodes for free, and reserving the rest for members. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026 But that is different from reserving the right, in advance, to misbehave — or asserting that your brother-in-law was not actually forgiven. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026 Transfer the fish to a plate, reserving the oil in the skillet. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026 Transfer to a medium bowl, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reserving
  1. booking
  2. retaining
  3. dedicating
  4. hiring
  5. keeping
  6. devoting
  7. holding
  8. saving
Verb
  • That’s likely why passengers are booking holiday travel earlier this year than in the past, said Hayley Berg, lead economist at travel site Hopper.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The companies on Thursday announced a new partnership to bring more than 1 million Airbnb listings to Amex's travel portal and allow cardholders to earn rewards when booking the stays.
    — Maggie Roth, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of booking
Verb
  • On September 19, Miller’s forecast gave the Republicans an almost 36% chance of retaining control of the upper chamber.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Attias said the family decided in 2025 to finally open the Clark, later retaining OTH Hotels Resorts to manage it.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of retaining
Verb
  • Many states are offering the chance to impact conservation and wildlife as well, through ballot measures focused on things like dedicating more money to habitat protection or mitigating the impacts of climate change.
    — Neel Dhanesha, Vox, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Duo’s inner screen is best used when dedicating the whole thing to a single app like Netflix.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dedicating
Verb
  • Fielder has made a career out of constructing elaborate social experiments, like building exact replicas of people’s homes and hiring actors to impersonate their loved ones on The Rehearsal.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That would begin the process of hiring an executive director, developing operational procedures and recruiting mental health professionals and other responders.
    — Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of hiring
Verb
  • Safe-haven demand has continued to support Treasuries, keeping 10-year yields near the lower end of their October range, the bank said.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Broad windows, strategic skylights, and deep overhangs optimize vistas and weather exposure, keeping interiors light and warm.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of keeping
Verb
  • Amanpour did not offer a reason for her departure, devoting most of her memo to thanking the production crews who worked with her over the years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The impact could be significant in terms of medical costs and devoting more funding toward actual care rather than other costs.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of devoting
Verb
  • The video shows four deputies running after Garza along Interstate 10 in Palm Springs, with Garza facing the deputies several times while holding an object in his hands.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the two designs support Hanwha Power’s effort to expand its electric vessel portfolio, with the larger concept now holding ABS Approval in Principle.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of holding
Verb
  • Mackeeper present themselves as scraggly anti-heroes, saving music one banger at a time.
    — Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Crafted from durable stainless steel, these containers are space-saving, leakproof, and, most impressively, completely microwave-safe.
    — Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of saving

Browse Nearby Words

reserves
reserving
reservist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserving. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All