say 1 of 3

1
2
3
as in to recite
to give from memory say your prayers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

say

2 of 3

adverb

say

3 of 3

noun

as in share
the right to express a wish, choice, or opinion even if they decide otherwise, at least I had my say

Synonyms & Similar 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 say
Verb
There is something to be said about putting the initial effort into it. Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 Another said their podiatrist recommended the shoes for their corns. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
New Hampshire’s unpredictable voters, who elected Republican Kelly Ayotte governor and gave Democrat Kamala Harris a 3-point win over Trump in 2024, are used to having a say in national politics. Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025 Barbadillo and Chua questioned why the report said there were violations when the city council has the ultimate say on violations of city codes. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for say
Recent Examples of Synonyms for say
Verb
  • Three people familiar with the situation told Semafor that Hurley reached out to an email address the reporter believed belonged to the former mayor of New York.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Expectations further rose over the course of the president’s trip to Asia, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, with the hopes that the deal would produce more than just a low-key touchpoint between the two world leaders.
    Betsy Klein, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The tourism minister also expressed confidence that the sector could contribute 10% of GDP by 2030, aiming to raise it to 20% eventually.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
  • In the comment section, many people expressed different opinions regarding the seating plan.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Once the camera’s red light goes on, Amaarae slips the device away and recites her questions from memory.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The bride and groom recited their vows and exchanged candy rings, and then there was lots of dancing and celebrating.
    Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Such an ambitious agenda assumes a counterpart who is either inclined or compelled to cooperate.
    Neil Thomas, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
  • From there, Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson assumes the roles of beloved figures such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman as Public Enemy’s members trade bars over a rambunctious guitar loop.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Jacksonville businesses of all kinds have been affected by the downstream effects of the second-longest government shutdown in history, including Chicken Country, a restaurant that has provided the area with Southern cooking for about 50 years.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The aircraft had taken off from Retford Gamston Airport, located about 25 miles away in Nottinghamshire, just before the crash, the BBC reported.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In September, Netskope listed shares on the Nasdaq, raising more than $900 million in its IPO.
    Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The couple share daughters Maude, 27, and Iris, 23, who have each ventured into acting as well.
    Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Connor called 911 for help, and authorities tried to locate Mallory while also talking to the rest of the friends about what happened.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Her focus is less on the reason for the decline than on the question of why people—even close family members—stopped talking with one another.
    Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • To this day, people come up to him and quote phrases his character used to utter.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
  • In essence, the Iowa and West Virginia sports cases ask the court to rule whether a transgender girl – a person assigned male at birth who has transitioned to align with their identity as a girl or woman, as the AP Stylebook phrases it – is a girl or a boy.
    Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025

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“Say.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/say. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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