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Definition of securenext
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as in to ensure
to make sure, certain, or safe a retirement account that will help to secure our future

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to fasten
to put securely in place or in a desired position candidates for admission are asked to secure a recent photo to their application forms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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secure

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word secure distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of secure are assure, ensure, and insure. While all these words mean "to make a thing or person sure," secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss.

sent reinforcements to secure their position

When can assure be used instead of secure?

The words assure and secure can be used in similar contexts, but assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind.

I assure you that no harm will be done

How does the word ensure relate to other synonyms for secure?

Ensure, insure, and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee.

the government has ensured the safety of the refugees

When is it sensible to use insure instead of secure?

While the synonyms insure and secure are close in meaning, insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand.

careful planning should insure the success of the party

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 secure
Verb
Companies such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Google have been scrambling to secure RAM for their chips. Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 26 June 2026 Elhady said the ballot was found in the clerk's office, secured in an evidence bag. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Adjective
The events, located in the heart of the country's largest city at the start of the Fourth of July weekend, are expected to be highly secure affairs, with road closures, tents and canopies to keep the nuptials private and safe. ABC News, 2 July 2026 If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for secure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secure
Verb
  • In the final months of pregnancy, the testicles descend through a passage called the inguinal canal to land in the scrotum, the pouch that protects them for the rest of a man’s life.
    Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • This shampoo and conditioner are designed to strengthen and protect hair health while reducing frizz and split ends.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • A little more than an hour before his post-match press conference in the bowels of SoFi Stadium, Pochettino watched his USA team give up a last-second goal to Turkey that ensured a 3-2 defeat in this final match of the group stage.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • Its temperature sensor also monitors room temperature and adjusts airflow to ensure the home is never too hot or too cold.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Technicians seated along an assembly line were fastening artificial tendons to the fingers to link them with actuators in the wrist.
    Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The top featured a corset bodice with lace fastening in the back in red, blue and white stripes.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • But Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley’s law school dean, said Trump still won most of the cases the court decided either after oral arguments or through emergency appeals the administration brought.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • The Socceroos are playing in the knockout stage for the third time in 20 years but have yet to win an elimination game.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Adjective
  • Ship traffic first started to pick up over the weekend as shipping companies became more confident that talks between the US and Iran were progressing.
    Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • Merlin, a 2-year-old duck, has taken the internet by storm, captivating fans with his tiny form-fitting Team Mexico jersey and confident waddle around his home of Mexico City.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
    Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Los Robles officials said that staff, patients and visitors were safe and that medical care was not interrupted at the hospital.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Adjective
  • Andrews, a lifelong resident of Red Hook Houses West, said the community has waited long enough for a reliable pool.
    Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • No reliable figures are available for battlefield casualties in the war.
    Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • When the streamers come down, the felt lift goes with them, and what survives is a line in the budget defended by everyone who had a good time.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Before the earthquakes, the government generally defended its national health system as robust, blaming shortcomings on sanctions imposed by the United States.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Secure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secure. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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