romance 1 of 2

noun

rō-ˈman(t)s How to pronounce romance (audio)
Definition of romancenext
as in affair
a brief romantic relationship an office romance that ended with hurt feelings on both sides

Synonyms & Similar Words

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romance

2 of 2

verb

as in to woo

Related Words

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 romance
Noun
In romance and in career, some of my best chapters began when someone saw something in me my résumé didn't justify, and their belief taught me to believe in myself. — Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 The Canadian gay hockey romance launched fujoshi fandom into the mainstream, proving audiences — and women, in particular — had a desire to watch two young guys roll around in some good old-fashioned smut. — David MacK, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Verb
In 1973, Boyd had an affair with Ronnie Wood, while Harrison did the same with Wood’s wife, and Harrison also later romanced Ringo Starr’s wife, Maureen Cox. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025 Anthony Geary, the thoughtful General Hospital actor who as the complex Luke Spencer raped and romanced Genie Francis’ Laura Webber Baldwin on the way to an unprecedented eight Daytime Emmy Awards and soap opera superstardom, has died. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for romance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romance
  1. affair
  2. woo
  3. fling
  4. spark
  5. date
Noun
  • But Graham’s burial is a private family affair, and the services planned in the nation’s capital are closed to the public.
    — Chantelle Lee, Time, 22 July 2026
  • Caviar, Vintage Cuvees, and Tableside Rituals For Royal Ascot, Brown’s built the experience around breakfast, elevating the first meal of the day into an indulgent affair before guests departed for the racecourse.
    — Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of affair
Verb
  • Christie’s, as always, is willing to adapt to the tastes of their clients, but the auction house also has multiple strategies for wooing tech wealth and trying to convert them to fine art.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 21 July 2026
  • Jackson also must implement a statewide campaign network and woo over the state’s large independent base.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of woo
Noun
  • In Hawai’i, two lovers (Kenji and Jane) are drawn together for what’s supposed to be a summer fling.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Bloc Party’s next album charts the course of such a fling, one that frontman Kele Okereke experienced himself after separating from his long-term partner.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of fling
Verb
  • One early stop involved the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California’s Alabama Hills, where Silbiger captured the photo that sparked the creative vision for her series.
    — Sarah Silbiger, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Distillation sparks dispute The letter also challenges calls to restrict AI distillation, a technique that trains one model using another model’s outputs.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
Definition of spark
Verb
  • That may be helped by the fact that Andy Ridings is not listed as a recurring or guest star for Season 2, meaning that his pilot Wes, whom Elliott started dating in Season 2, may be out of the picture.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 July 2026
  • Running September 10–13, Astoria Artshow will take place at the historic Astoria Garage, a six-story historic building dating to 1923 in Vienna’s 8th District that will host an art event for the first time.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of date

Browse Nearby Words

roly-poly
romance
romanced
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Cite this Entry

“Romance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romance. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on romance

Nglish: Translation of romance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about romance

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