serve

verb

ˈsərv How to pronounce serve (audio)
Definition of servenext
1
as in to attend
to be a servant for he served his master faithfully for 20 years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to suffice
to be enough they made the pasta serve for eight guests

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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
4
as in to treat
to behave toward in a stated way my parents served me well in preparing me for life

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to act
to have a certain purpose the harsh punishment served to teach everyone a lesson

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
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 The World Cup served as a coming-out party for Centennial Yards, South Downtown and The CTR as well as for an improved Underground Atlanta and Decatur Square (home to WatchFest). — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 17 July 2026 McDivitt served as mission commander for Gemini IV and photographed the first American spacewalk, conducted by command pilot Edward White. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 16 July 2026 In 2024, Wall asked for invoices showing fee details for work performed by attorney Tim Davis and the firms he was employed by while serving as counsel for Grapevine-Colleyville’s school board. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 International Delight Oreo and Reese’s Iced Coffee (15 fl oz), both contain 5 grams of protein per serving. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for serve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serve
  1. attend
  2. suffice
  3. do
  4. treat
  5. act
  6. benefit
  7. fit
  8. handle
Verb
  • Charlie Kirk’s parents and his widow, Erika Kirk, are expected to attend as weeklong preliminary hearing begins July 6.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Kirk’s parents and his widow, Erika Kirk, will attend this week’s hearing, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of attend
Verb
  • Each of us has also learned that even satisfied ambition and material success will never suffice.
    — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
  • By next weekend, Djokovic would love to equal Federer's men's record of eight singles titles, but reaching the fourth round will have to suffice for now.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of suffice
Verb
  • The divergence is over whether the worker shortage is improving slowly or still getting worse, and what the Supreme Court should do about it.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The band is forced into doing take after take in his quest to fully convey his own emotions.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of do
Verb
  • This initiative aims to identify and voluntarily treat testosterone deficiencies, which naturally occur as levels decline after age 30.
    — Nina Shapiro, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • She was then transported to the hospital to be treated for symptoms of chemical exposure.
    — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of treat
Verb
  • Mozeliak argues the team doesn’t need to tank to win, but rather act more like a big market team.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Maintenance inhalers are either long-acting airway dilators or anti-inflammatory medications like steroids that patients should take daily.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of act
Verb
  • Taylor, a recovering addict, wasn’t drinking alcohol, the source told the gossip outlet, adding that the 47-year-old was in town to participate in a 5K to benefit local nonprofit Recovery Through Repetition at Boca Raton Innovation Campus park.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • This benefits turf condition on the tees and has facilitated new spectator access along the right-hand side of the hole.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of benefit
Verb
  • What allows many people to digest dairy products is a chainlike enzyme called lactase, which is produced in the small intestine and fits together like a puzzle piece with the complex sugar in milk called lactose.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026
  • These shoes usually have LED lights fitted around the whole sole of the shoe, but some shoes only light up in the toe or heel area.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of fit
Verb
  • The escalating standoff comes as the fragile truce reached last month has fractured, once again disrupting energy flows through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles around 20% of the world's oil traffic.
    — Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • The state attorneys general and Paramount previously agreed to link the private party suit to the states’ case, which means that Martinez-Olguin will handle the state matter as well.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of handle

Browse Nearby Words

servants
serve
served
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Cite this Entry

“Serve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serve. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on serve

Nglish: Translation of serve for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about serve

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