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
Bessette-Kennedy favored practical shoes for moving through her neighborhood (walking the dog, running errands), reserving heels for galas and other more formal occasions.
—
Julia Rabinowitsch, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
Blending most of the soup while reserving some potato pieces creates a balanced texture—smooth and creamy with hearty chunks throughout.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
Using a shallow dish, dredge the chops in flour, shaking off any excess and reserving some flour for the gravy.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
There is no rental fee for reserving a golf bay, but inquiries ahead of time are required and a food and beverage minimum will apply.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving drippings in skillet; set chicken aside.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Travelers can earn reward points by reserving spots online through the Royalty Program, which has more than 250,000 participants.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
Add most of the arugula reserving a few leaves for a garnish, the capers, and most of the fresh herb leaves reserving some for a garnish.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
Julia Rabinowitsch, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
Blending most of the soup while reserving some potato pieces creates a balanced texture—smooth and creamy with hearty chunks throughout.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
Using a shallow dish, dredge the chops in flour, shaking off any excess and reserving some flour for the gravy.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
There is no rental fee for reserving a golf bay, but inquiries ahead of time are required and a food and beverage minimum will apply.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving drippings in skillet; set chicken aside.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Travelers can earn reward points by reserving spots online through the Royalty Program, which has more than 250,000 participants.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
Add most of the arugula reserving a few leaves for a garnish, the capers, and most of the fresh herb leaves reserving some for a garnish.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reserving
Verb
-
Beckett, 20, was arrested in Iowa and charged with a first offense of operating while intoxicated (OWI), according to booking records from the Ida County Sheriff's Office (ICSO).—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
-
A day after booking Soto and Baz, investigators arrested Gutierrez, who allegedly led the distribution of the cocaine to dealers and users, at his Oxnard home.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Today, only 24% of organizations report issues with attracting or retaining employees, down from 36% last year, 45% from 2024 and 53% from 2023.—
John M. Bremen,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Candidates largely agree on recruitment, ICE Most of the candidates said that retaining and recruiting staff at the sheriff’s office, a challenge for years, will come down to who is in charge.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And after dedicating much of the past 20 years to speedskating — after moving to Salt Lake City to train six years ago and after deciding that these Milan Cortina Winter Olympics would be his last, gold or bust — Lehman wanted to earn it.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
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That infrastructure, including painting the far right lane red and dedicating it for buses only, will come, but it will be phased in over time.—
John Shumway,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The same dynamic is now widely observed in universities, where hiring and professional advancement practices have produced increasingly uniform ideological cultures even without explicit political litmus tests.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The Atlanta Falcons added the final piece to their new leadership team on Thursday night by hiring Ian Cunningham as general manager.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hydee Feldstein Soto has praised Gibson Dunn’s work in the LA Alliance case, saying the firm helped the city retain control over its homelessness programs while also keeping Bass and the two council members off the stand.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Firm research shows mom-and-pop investors are typically devoting only a small portion of their overall portfolios to these speculative plays, while keeping most of their money in more traditional investments.—
Yun Li,Kate Rooney,Alex Harring,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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The state is devoting $50 million in federal grant funding this year to cancer screening, prevention and treatment.—
Virginia Barreda,
Des Moines Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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About a second after the agent holding Pretti’s weapon starts moving away, the officer in the black beanie appears to fire four shots at Pretti.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Produced by One Pulse Group, the global production team behind S20 America and EDC Korea, ‘KRAZY Super Concert’ is holding its first-ever United Arab Emirates concert at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The result is a sector doing critical, often life-saving work while operating on financial quicksand.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Millions of people donate blood each year, saving countless lives.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserving. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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