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
When the pasta has nearly finished cooking, drain the tomatoes, reserving both the tomatoes and the oil.
—
Kate Williams, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The subjects appear to offer their likenesses without reserving an ounce of modesty; confidence and audacity steel their faces and poses.
—Bryan Barcena, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Officially, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have condemned the attacks while reserving the right to retaliate.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Drain cherries, reserving 3/4 cup of the juice.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Booking direct generally means reserving flights or hotels straight through an airline’s or hotel’s individual website.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
Restaurant Paul Bocuse A visit to Lyon without reserving a table at the fine dining palace of legendary chef Paul Bocuse is unthinkable for anyone with a passion for food.
—John Brunton, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
Drain the penne, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
The popular event was fully booked, with couples reserving all of the 150 available spots.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
Kate Williams, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The subjects appear to offer their likenesses without reserving an ounce of modesty; confidence and audacity steel their faces and poses.
—Bryan Barcena, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Officially, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have condemned the attacks while reserving the right to retaliate.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Drain cherries, reserving 3/4 cup of the juice.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Booking direct generally means reserving flights or hotels straight through an airline’s or hotel’s individual website.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
Restaurant Paul Bocuse A visit to Lyon without reserving a table at the fine dining palace of legendary chef Paul Bocuse is unthinkable for anyone with a passion for food.
—John Brunton, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
Drain the penne, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
The popular event was fully booked, with couples reserving all of the 150 available spots.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reserving
Verb
-
Carri Roux said the Luke Roux Foundation has distributed more than 1,500 vouchers for ride-booking services to graduating high school seniors over the last three years.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This further underscored the symbiotic relationship between Humphreys and smooth jazz, an idiom not held in high regard by the person booking the concerts.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Despite the institutional changes, the National Symphony Orchestra is retaining its decadeslong residency.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Its homeliness is also its wealth—small and bricked, perhaps no longer functioning in its original capacity as a home to farmers but retaining a gift for earthy pleasures by keeping green, by keeping humble.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To expand that impact, RetrievAir is launching its Second Chance Seats program, dedicating two seats on every flight to help transport rescue pups.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Younger investors are often better served keeping gold exposure, if any, as a small allocation within a broader portfolio rather than dedicating an entire IRA to it.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The conditions that apparently make reskilling cheaper than hiring at Standard Chartered may not be replicable at scale across industries.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Everyone’s broken, so the collective strength of the cast in keeping us on our toes about where this is all headed is a huge plus.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
With so many players in the WBC, the Royals will be keeping a close eye on all the different games in pool play.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For parents, devoting one-on-one time to children who are not in crisis, acknowledging their experiences, and validating their feelings without trying to fix them can make an enormous difference.—
Debra Manetta,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
-
There are still young people out there who are devoting themselves to the craft.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The original features a man holding architectural drawings with the urban landscape in the background.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee
March 6,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Tender’s assets Tender CEO Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) engineers the downfall of co-founder Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and eventually leaves Henry holding the bag for the company’s fraud.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rising commodity prices and disruptions to global supply chains sparked by the war in Iran threatened the delivery of life-saving aid, the UN argued.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Global Entry allows preapproved, low-risk travelers to use expedited kiosks -- for a fee -- when entering the United States from abroad, saving them time at airports and other ports of entry.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserving. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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