second 1 of 4

noun (1)

Definition of secondnext
as in minute
a very small space of time I'll be ready in a second

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

second

2 of 4

noun (2)

as in discard
something separated from a group or lot for not being as good as the others the slightly flawed linens were sold as seconds

Synonyms & Similar Words

second

3 of 4

adjective

as in another

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

second

4 of 4

verb

as in to assist

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 second
Noun
But Hamilton still finished second, and less than 3 seconds back after 17 laps. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026 Incoming ballistic missiles can travel at several kilometers per second, leaving defenders with only a narrow engagement window. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Adjective
For ease and convenience, a claw clip is the chic accessory for second-day hair. — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 8 July 2026 The Rebel-Quad is the second-generation product from Rebellions and is made up of four Rebel AI chips. — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Verb
After Bolte advanced to second on a wild pitch, Kilian got two outs before walking Tyler Soderstrom. — ABC News, 25 June 2026 Anthony Seigler singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch by righty Zach Agnos, who pitched three innings. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for second
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second
  1. minute
  2. discard
  3. another
  4. assist
  5. moment
  6. cull
  7. successive
  8. aid
Noun
  • But those plans were derailed on Thursday when Egyptian authorities blocked the ship, the Scarlet Lady, from entering its waters at the last minute, according to Atlantis Events, days after the vessel was refused entry to Turkey.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Veteran forward Emma Cannon played 12 minutes and scored nine points as a key post presence late when Cardoso was in foul trouble.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of minute
Noun
  • Strain banana milk through a sieve into a large bowl; discard peels.
    — Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • Li has dedicated freezer bags for different dishes, like vegetable scraps for soups or fruit discards for smoothies.
    — Emily Siner, NPR, 27 June 2026
Definition of discard
Adjective
  • Chief Randal Taylor, in an another car behind Adams, aided the pursuit, the police said.
    — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, 7 May 2020
  • As the Gophers kept winning in a historic season, stakes surrounding their season-ending rivalry game with Wisconsin kept ratcheting up — outgrowing even the another annual Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
    — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2019
Definition of another
Verb
  • His son-in-law, Emmanuel Rosario Alvarez, created a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral expenses and pay tribute to him.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • Track citations, referrals and assisted conversions to see how AI systems represent your brand.
    — Bohdan Savchuk, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of assist
Noun
  • Instead, Alfonzo’s first appearance, the culmination of nine tireless years, was somber , stricken by the grief overshadowing what should’ve been a joyous moment in the Dodgers’ to the Padres.
    — Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • With three Japanese players around him, the decision to immediately engage during such a transitional moment was incorrect.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of moment
Noun
  • The same strain has forced record culls and pushed up egg prices across North America and Europe, and Australian flocks have no exposure to it.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • Since the decision, residents and conservationists around the country have rallied around the geese, urging the HOA to reconsider the cull and find nonlethal measures to control the population.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Definition of cull
Adjective
  • Worse still, their neural activity actually decreased over successive assignments; by the end, many were defaulting to copy-paste.
    — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Los Cafeteros topped Group K ahead of Portugal as their 0-0 stalemate against the Seleção was preceded by successive wins against DR Congo and Uzbekistan.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Definition of successive
Verb
  • The league also will implant contact-sensing computer chips in each basketball to aid officials with out-of-bounds replays.
    — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 9 July 2026
  • When Martín is kidnapped by a monster, Cleo ventures into the jungle to rescue him, aided by an elderly witch and a naughty anteater.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 July 2026
Definition of aid

Phrases Containing second

Browse Nearby Words

seclusion
second
secondaries
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Second.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on second

Nglish: Translation of second for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about second

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All