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 Turner’s patron Hugh Andrew Johnstone Munro commissioned the painting, which later entered the collection of Archibald Primrose, the 5th Earl of Rosebery, who went on to serve as British prime minister. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Researchers have yet to identify a finished work for which the drawing might have served as a study. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 The deal requires Pusateri, of Nottingham, Maryland, to serve 10 years in prison, according to a statement by the State's Attorney Baltimore County. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Amblin Entertainment serves as producer alongside Roy Lee and Miri Yoon of Vertigo Entertainment. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for serve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for serve

Verb

Other events to attend include CULTURA Fiesta Latina held every September to celebrate Latin culture through food, music, dance, and programming and the Christkindl Markt, which brings a festive European-style market to to town.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Nguyen grew up and attended school in the region before earning her Bachelor’s degree at Sacramento State University, according to her campaign website.

— Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of attend

Verb

When the vast majority of minor leaguers never reach the majors, the arithmetic clears only when the terms on the few who do are punitive enough to fund the rest.

— Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
The company has already done this three times with Super Heavy but has not yet attempted it with Ship.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of do

Verb

Several drugs in this class are approved to treat obesity in adolescents 12 and older, but none are currently approved for younger children.

— Babak J. Orandi, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
For families As is customary in Bali, kids are treated like royalty by virtually all resort staff, and there is always someone ready with open arms to hold or play with them.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of treat

Verb

The 30-year-old actress, who was named the Chinese brand ambassador for Kors last March, made her acting debut at 10 and has played numerous roles in historical, fantasy and romantic dramas.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Enter the bent-hoop, non-electronic robot that looks like an earring and acts like a sprite in a video game, jumping forever as powered by infrared light.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of act

Verb

Further, while about 4,000 workers across Hartford HealthCare’s hospitals, ambulatory locations, and support functions will benefit from this increase, an additional 4,000 will benefit from compression adjustments, the documents show.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Memory technology could also benefit from efficient electrical energy storage and retrieval.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of benefit

Verb

That’s because Bogart does not wear his roles like an off-the-rack suit, but tailors them to fit.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Ford has a lot of vision systems using AI in the background, for instance, to help make decisions on things like dimensional control of a panel or whether doors fit correctly or not.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of fit

Verb

The size of the award points to a sustained requirement for interceptors capable of handling multiple threats.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Licensing and brand consultancy Black White Orange (BWO) is handling fan engagement, consumer experiences and promotional activations, and Happening 365 Synergies is advising on strategy and the market.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of handle

Browse Nearby Words

servants

serve

served

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Serve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serve. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of serve

verb

Example Sentences

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