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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

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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 Portman said the incentives help justify reserving 39 units at rents affordable for residents who make up to 80% of the area median income — $64,000 for an individual or $91,360 for a family of four. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet cook bacon over medium until crisp; drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. — Maddy Bendgen, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026 For Remediation Teams often book the pen test before reserving a single engineering hour to act on it. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 There is a legitimate economic argument for enforcing work permits, business licenses and rules reserving certain sectors for citizens. — Vivianne Wandera, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026 The new group started reserving $47 million for six competitive Senate races and one competitive House race. — Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 In the ballroom case, Roberts broke with that stance, not only joining the three liberal Justices but reserving his authority to write the dissent himself. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Lee recommends quartz or porcelain around wet areas and reserving butcher block for a dry island. — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 4 Sep. 2026 Chicago foodies can check out the restaurant's delicious seasonal menu by reserving a table on the John's website. — Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 3 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
  • Burke said on Thursday that processing times would return to normal, but Heyes said that doesn’t help the backpackers who have held off booking flights and tours, and the employers who were waiting, ready to hire them, for the harvest season.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Costco Travel is great for booking rental cars because an additional driver is included and there is typically no cancellation fee or prepayment required.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of booking
Verb
  • Smaller components, broader uses The approach could make frequency-conversion devices much smaller while retaining efficient light conversion.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Saikia said the track’s soundscape aimed to hold the depth of Azmi’s poetry and Nooran’s voice while retaining the soul of Sufi music.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of retaining
Verb
  • The Ali Center is also honoring Louisville philanthropists Steve and Amy Trager with the Kentucky Humanitarian Award for dedicating themselves to improving opportunities in the community.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond concerns about Hong's old tweets, however, critics have suggested the campaign underperformed with key voting blocs and made questionable decisions, such as dedicating $150,200 to online ads without running a single TV broadcast spot.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of dedicating
Verb
  • Patel was pressed on the FBI’s hiring standards The FBI quietly issued guidance this past spring lifting a categorical hiring ban on applicants who had previously engaged in prostitution.
    — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Some job seekers are pushing back against AI interviews in hiring — refusing them, withdrawing as candidates, or even blacklisting employers from future consideration.
    — Sarah Jackson Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of hiring
Verb
  • The carrier’s return also highlights the continuing importance of maintenance and modernization in keeping large naval vessels operational decades after their commissioning.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That report recommended keeping the SAT and ACT in place until UC could develop its own admissions test, an idea UC later concluded was too difficult and costly.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of keeping
Verb
  • Her reporting reveals stunning details about the high-level government officials who are devoting their time and influence to enable what is, essentially, a portfolio of home-renovation and vanity projects.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • With financial support from all the major record labels, AEN began devoting major blocks of program time to music videos and related content with interactive links enabling consumer purchase.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of devoting
Verb
  • But a holding call on Wake Forest pushed the Demon Deacons deep into their own territory.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Busch ran on the pitch with the Reds not holding him on first base.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of holding
Verb
  • Oblivious to her own biases about who Leo is and why, Mallory poses as a therapist keen on saving his life, but uses their faux sessions to mine his story for literary gold.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But Kubiak kept him out of the preseason, saving his first real game action since surgery until the season opener.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of saving

Browse Nearby Words

reserves
reserving
reservist
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Cite this Entry

“Reserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserving. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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