Synonym Chooser

How is the word same different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of same are equal, equivalent, identical, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route
derived from the selfsame source

In what contexts can equal take the place of same?

Although the words equal and same have much in common, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When could equivalent be used to replace same?

The synonyms equivalent and same are sometimes interchangeable, but equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When might identical be a better fit than same?

While in some cases nearly identical to same, identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

How is very related to other words for same?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

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 same But critics argue some of those same attributes pose existential problems, with Shamblin’s suicide — allegedly with the encouragement of a piece of technology — as one of the more recent examples. Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025 Jones second but no longer on same level as previous seasons. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Nov. 2025 But those same people also want enticing experiences, and Foxwoods is looking to answer that call as well. Adam Stone, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025 He’s only thrown for over 200 yards once; that same Arizona game. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for same
Recent Examples of Synonyms for same
Adjective
  • The Unistellar eQuinox 2 looks identical to its predecessor, the eQuinox, but has a higher-resolution image sensor, which gives greater detail of the night sky.
    Paul Brett, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • During inquiries, the ICO found 178 active email accounts using passwords identical or similar to those set by the organization’s IT desk when the account was activated.
    Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Even the people at the other end of the spectrum, who are resisting the very idea of change, represent a customer service failure on your part.
    Phil Gilbert, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
  • In it, Kingsnorth chronicles his disenchantment with the activism that had once been his life’s work—the very kind of advocacy that had driven many of my students, that had driven me, into that classroom in the first place.
    Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The indictment, which was filed on Wednesday and unsealed Sunday, comes on the heels of a series of similar indictments involving Portland Trail Blazers head coach and basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA journeyman Damon Jones.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • There was a similar outcry after Celine Song's Materialists, which (spoiler) ends with Chris Evans proposing with a daisy ring.
    Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • After an office romance begins, employee retention at the organization drops by six percentage points, meaning turnover is 14% greater than in comparable firms.
    Emily Nix, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Putting aside the visceral appeal of the reference to insider trading, are these allegations actually comparable to criminal insider trading in the securities regime?
    Samidh Guha, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • That said, the extra boost from set-top boxes and connected TVs isn’t likely to beat out the final tally for the analogous broadcast in 2017.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • That case established a new Second Amendment test, holding that modern-day regulations regarding gun rights must have an analogous historical regulation.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 27 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Same.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/same. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on same

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