Thesaurus results for ROLES

roles

noun

variants also rôles

plural of role

as in tasks

the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists studying the role of sunlight in the body's production of vitamin D

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 roles An all-rounder with a heart of gold, Dolly will also be remembered for her philanthropy, her acting roles, her business acumen and her support of good causes. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 The actresses are reprising their roles as the two witch sisters nearly 30 years after the 1998 original. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 Under the agreements, Mohammed and al Hawsawi would plead guilty to all charges and provide detailed admissions about their roles in the attacks. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026 Military working dogs are routinely used in roles including explosives detection, patrol operations, search missions and force-protection duties. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Many of the roles were in software engineering and machine learning, according to the filings. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Democratic primary winners in the District are prepping for their likely future roles with Spanish lessons and meetings with their soon-to-be colleagues. — Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 Also, his placement on certain special teams packages tells us that the coaching staff expects to use him in those roles quite a bit. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Fabares appeared widely on television in guest roles throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roles

Noun

Humanoid robots can now, for example, sort parcels in postal centers, although still on a small-scale basis, and are pushing the boundaries in performing more human tasks such as directing traffic and making coffee.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Mail and Paper Piles Leaving mail and stacks of paper on coffee tables, console tables, and end tables is distracting and causes a conflict between relaxation and productive tasks, which Lee notes are two things that don't go together.

— Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of tasks

Noun

Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Governments generally don’t need a model that’s as powerful as what’s on the frontier to automate a few tasks; Ting explains that a tiny model, even one with as few as 1 billion parameters, can suit those purposes.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of purposes

Noun

Forty-eight business entities were named in the sanctions, with more than 20 of them related to shipping, logistics or maritime functions.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
Beyond the main house, Castleton functions on an almost village-like scale, with nine additional residences, 16 barns containing 268 stalls, and an extensive network of paddocks, breeding and training facilities.

— Mark David, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of functions

Noun

The swamp hen, known by its scientific name, Porphyrio martinica, mostly is found along the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean as well as parts of South America.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
That leaves more room for the parts of festival life that resist scheduling.

— Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of parts

Noun

Her international exhibitions attracted huge crowds and her works often sold for more than $1 million.

— Kaori Kaneko, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Other highlights include the 50th anniversary of Anacostia Park’s beloved roller skating pavilion; fairs dedicated to works by female artists; and international festivals with food, music and dancing.

— Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of works

Browse Nearby Words

role-plays

roles

roll

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Roles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roles. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of roles

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes