SERVE Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

serve

verb

ˈsərv

Definition of serve

as in to attend

to be a servant for he served his master faithfully for 20 years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to suffice

to be enough they made the pasta serve for eight guests

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to do

to be fitting or proper those old riding boots will serve for now, but you'll need newer ones for the horse show

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to treat

to behave toward in a stated way my parents served me well in preparing me for life

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to act

to have a certain purpose the harsh punishment served to teach everyone a lesson

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to benefit

to provide with something useful or desirable an excellent college that served her with the skills necessary to make it in today's job market

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 serve Matsui previously served as one of eight members of former President Clinton’s transition board. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026 Eisenkot, a former military chief, has up to six weeks to form a government that would end the tenure of Israel's longest-serving prime minister. — Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2026 Matsui, who has served in Congress since 2005, was emblematic of the Democratic establishment. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026 Listyo previously served as national police chief under Widodo, who has not been implicated in the wiretapping investigation. — ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for serve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for serve

Verb

The Vatican said Saturday that another 10,000 had attended, despite the morning rain and blustery, gray skies.

— ISABEL DEBRE, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Jewish students should be able to attend class, enter campus buildings, and participate in student organizations without ancestry- or faith-based discrimination.

— Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of attend

Verb

Record-warm ocean water is pushing sea levels higher, while officials and experts say temporary fixes such as seawalls may not suffice as coastal flooding worsens.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
So suffice it to say Shultz went into the new Holmes documentary with some baggage.

— Amanda Erickson, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of suffice

Verb

Why such clueless animosity toward people whose only crime was doing what the nation asked of them?

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
When a team makes an investment in a cornerback like Indianapolis did, that player should be trusted to take on any receiver in the league.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of do

Verb

Following Masias’ detainment, immigration agents who milled about the parking were nonresponsive to the protesters, who shouted at them through the locked fence surrounding the Moss building as Sacramento Fire Department personnel treated Masias.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2026
The researchers say the cracks can be deliberately incorporated into the coating rather than treated as unwanted defects.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of treat

Verb

As of Sunday afternoon, 45 people were listed as missing, according to the acting head of the regional military administration, Mykhailo Semikin.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
Khalil openly acted as a spokesman for Columbia University Apartheid Divest to give the school its political demands during the unrest.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of act

Verb

Those randomly selected to benefit will be notified by email, text message and a letter in the mail that their medical debt has been eliminated.

— Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
High schools could incorporate math-civics units in AP Statistics, government, economics or electives, though elective-only models would miss many of the students who would benefit the most.

— Ismar Volić, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of benefit

Verb

The actuators needed to be compact enough to fit within the robots while providing sufficient power and reliability for different movements.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
The vans were fitted with sham branding for a fuel delivery firm as well as a pool supply company.

— Willem Marx, NPR, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of fit

Verb

Simulation software then generates variations of the demonstrations to help the robot handle minor differences in working conditions.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2026
The next two years will be defined by how his administration handles a muscular Democratic opposition.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of handle

Browse Nearby Words

servants

serve

served

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Style

“Serve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serve. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of serve

verb

Example Sentences

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