1
as in works (for)
to be a servant for
he served his master faithfully for 20 years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
4
as in treats
to behave toward in a stated way
my parents served me well in preparing me for life
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
6
as in benefits
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
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Recent Examples of serves
Use this time to think about what makes sense to offload that no longer serves your career.
—
Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The college serves an additional 3,253 professional skills training students through workforce development, job training, adult education and other programs.
—Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
The exhibition opens Friday, just before the awards, and serves as a fundraiser for Oxfam.
—Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Pilot Light Trouble Gas water heaters have a pilot light that serves as the ignition source for a more powerful gas burner.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Shape Tape is a creamy, full-coverage concealer that serves as a magic eraser for all things sun spots, acne, dark circles, and discoloration.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 22 Jan. 2026
Basically, a mechanical computer, where the clicking and clacking of wheels and gears serves to generate new sentences, a randomizer used for novel literature.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Fetcherr serves as the strategic partner, working with C-suite executives to deliver solutions that meet the business' needs, whether that means maximizing market share, optimizing yield, or finding the right balance between revenue growth and operational efficiency.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
The school site sits along Interstate 4 and serves as a gateway to the town.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The college serves an additional 3,253 professional skills training students through workforce development, job training, adult education and other programs.
—Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
The exhibition opens Friday, just before the awards, and serves as a fundraiser for Oxfam.
—Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Pilot Light Trouble Gas water heaters have a pilot light that serves as the ignition source for a more powerful gas burner.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Shape Tape is a creamy, full-coverage concealer that serves as a magic eraser for all things sun spots, acne, dark circles, and discoloration.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 22 Jan. 2026
Basically, a mechanical computer, where the clicking and clacking of wheels and gears serves to generate new sentences, a randomizer used for novel literature.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Fetcherr serves as the strategic partner, working with C-suite executives to deliver solutions that meet the business' needs, whether that means maximizing market share, optimizing yield, or finding the right balance between revenue growth and operational efficiency.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
The school site sits along Interstate 4 and serves as a gateway to the town.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serves
Verb
-
For some, the lower-tier MacBook Air suffices.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
4 Jan. 2026
-
No single material suffices to replicate that distinctive human texture.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
While not every product in the brand’s SOS collection includes hypochlorous acid (an excellent anti-acneic ingredient), the serum does.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
-
When an older condo building sits on valuable land in a desirable neighborhood, like Biscayne 21 does, developers often see it as an opportunity to tear down the old and replace it with a newer, more profitable luxury condo building.—
Catherine Odom
January 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So the house went searching for the kind of workshop that still treats crystal as craft, landing with a fourth-generation maker in Bohemia to hand-etch each of the 200 bottles.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Stanton treats the exchange in such rudimentary, flat fashion that any connection between us and the character is lost.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
True autonomy demands a fundamentally different approach — a unified system that perceives, decides, and acts with the entire body at once.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The platform acts as a firewall for the schools, Simpkins said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These 10 exercises can work your abdominal muscles more than Pilates alone, challenging your core and supporting your spine in a way that benefits everyday tasks.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Waiting until July allows the Bucks to pit the Warriors’ offer against a league-wide bidding war, rather than negotiating against a deadline that only benefits Golden State.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Steve stays in Hawkins to become a Little League coach, Nancy drops out of Emerson College to take a job at The Herald in Boston, and Robin attends Smith College.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
-
If your grandchild attends one of these schools and receives financial aid, check with the school’s financial aid office about how your generosity could affect their aid package.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike end-of-life recycling plants, the CRCC primarily handles unused cells and residues from pilot production.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
ChatGPT handles the thinking work that used to require a whole team.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond theory, the setup also functions as an ultra-sensitive force sensor.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The organization still functions.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serves. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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