serves

verb

present tense third-person singular of serve
1
as in works (for)
to be a servant for he served his master faithfully for 20 years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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3
as in does
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 treats
to behave toward in a stated way my parents served me well in preparing me for life

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5
as in acts
to have a certain purpose the harsh punishment served to teach everyone a lesson

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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 film also serves as a tribute to friends and loyal customers who have helped shape the business. — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026 June 21 – July 22 A plan with someone close may need to fit what serves you close to home. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 Why bars and importers are paying attention Chloë Syrah Schwartz, vice president at wine and spirits importer and distributor VOS Selections, told Food & Wine that Dry January serves as an on-ramp for the industry itself. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026 Archer serves as the official air taxi provider for LA28 and Team USA. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026 The event also serves as a defining marker of where the industry is at in 2026. — New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026 Attorney General Tim Griffin, who serves in the military reserves and Arkansas National Guard, said the partnership will work well for the schools and the National Guard. — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 24 Aug. 2026 She was also appointed locally to the Palm Beach County Housing and Finance Authority and serves as the chairwoman. — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 The waterway, passing between Iran and Oman, serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serves
  1. attends
  2. suffices
  3. does
  4. treats
  5. acts
  6. benefits
  7. handles
  8. functions
Verb
  • Mariela, who regularly attends her husband’s meetings, joined in, making comments about Corben’s wife.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In the limited series, the cast attends a fan convention where they get caught up in a dangerous life-imitating-art situation — a premise drawing comparisons to the beloved sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of attends
Verb
  • The majority explained that authority for the president to construct the ballroom requires satisfying both of those statutes; neither alone suffices.
    — Ellen P. Aprill, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Simply continuing your current savings strategy or leaving funds in a traditional savings account no longer suffices.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of suffices
Verb
  • So does Kevin Reddington, the formidable defense attorney who is representing Clancy in her criminal trial, taking place in Plymouth, which is being live-streamed on the Internet and heavily covered on local news.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Since the coupon amounts cannot change, the instrument that does is the bill, a Treasury security that matures in a year or less.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of does
Verb
  • The specialised center treats children for acute and chronic pain.
    — Kirk Ogunrinde, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But being away from his family wasn’t easy, especially in an industry that sometimes treats young players as cash cows.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of treats
Verb
  • Cole’s Tyler acts practically while collapsing into a black hole of cynicism.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In this drama of war between the imperial powers, Kip acts as a moral agent.
    — Amitava Kumar, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of acts
Verb
  • Treating conversions as first-class artifacts, with the same signing and inventory discipline, benefits the labs, the packagers and the enterprises that depend on both.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For example, assuming a worker's productivity does not drop by 1% over one year, but their real wages fall by the same amount, a company benefits from that same productivity but is paying wages that are 1% lower.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of benefits
Verb
  • In healthcare, for example, an admissions department that once required 10 people may need two as AI handles referral summaries, reimbursement assessments and coordination workflows.
    — Dave Wessinger, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • O’Brien’s report was not entirely negative, and the auditor’s office found that how Denver handles project management is generally effective, though there’s room for improvement.
    — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of handles
Verb
  • The New Mexico estate also functions as a working ranch, with a complete equestrian setup with 12 stalls, paddocks, a fenced arena, a hot walker, and a round pen.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The danger is that governments and markets grow accustomed to a Strait of Hormuz that functions only intermittently and misinterpret the stopgap as a resolution.
    — Amena Bakr, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of functions

Browse Nearby Words

servers
serves
service
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Cite this Entry

“Serves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serves. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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