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
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 serves
The eVTOL aircraft serves as a technology demonstrator rather than a commercial vehicle.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Enter this one-pan version that serves eight and is ready in about an hour—most of which is baking time.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Catholic Charities has a 168-unit affordable housing community, Trinity Garden, that serves seniors aged 55 and older who meet the income criteria.
—Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 4 Feb. 2026
His dad LaMarr, who serves as a volunteer assistant to coach Jim Nazos, didn’t get to see the game.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The festival serves as the organization’s second-largest fundraiser of the year, aiming to collect $215,000 to support Pet Alliances’s general operation.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which serves Minneapolis and several suburbs, said its policies have not changed.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The bar serves nearly 5,000 cups of this fruity punch on game days.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Again, the work of the past serves them well here.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Enter this one-pan version that serves eight and is ready in about an hour—most of which is baking time.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Catholic Charities has a 168-unit affordable housing community, Trinity Garden, that serves seniors aged 55 and older who meet the income criteria.
—Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 4 Feb. 2026
His dad LaMarr, who serves as a volunteer assistant to coach Jim Nazos, didn’t get to see the game.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The festival serves as the organization’s second-largest fundraiser of the year, aiming to collect $215,000 to support Pet Alliances’s general operation.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which serves Minneapolis and several suburbs, said its policies have not changed.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The bar serves nearly 5,000 cups of this fruity punch on game days.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Again, the work of the past serves them well here.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 4 Feb. 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
-
So, what does a 127-year-old wine taste like?—
Pin Yen Tan 9 min ago,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Ward and Ausere said UConn does a great job supporting the club, helping pay for rigs, jumps and wind tunnel time.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Drake professor Stacy Gnacinski, 38, treats her students no different than her Olympic athletes.—
Kate Kealey,
Des Moines Register,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But that structure remains undermined by a pension funding system that totally ignores it, benefits wealthier school districts more than poor ones and treats Chicago differently than everyone else.—
John Cullerton,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The amber hue of the beaded chokers acts as a neutral color against the lapis-blue top, emulating a similar warmth to the yellow-gold pendant to tie the accessories together.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The host acts as dead weight, occupying space without contributing any heat-storage capacity, ultimately diluting the material’s overall efficiency.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Final discussions are underway as Colorado moves toward possible changes to how SNAP benefits work in the state.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
As a result, the company benefits from consistent mid-teens revenue growth, mostly from new business with current clients.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aside from being the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing, Gu also attends Stanford University, having scored a 1580 on her SAT.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Among the agencies assisting are the Transportation Safety Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service, if the president attends.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Despite its compact form factor, the Pi handles a substantial workload.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Goodfellas handles worldwide sales excluding Japan, Taiwan, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, CIS and Syria.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yet the system now functions differently—not through rupture but through recalibration.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
This season also functions as the farewell tour for Formula E’s Gen 3 EVO car, which will give way to the 50% more powerful Gen 4 car next year.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serves. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
