1
as in to survey
to go around and approach (people) with a request for opinions or information solicited several opinions about which job he should accept

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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5
as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage how many men have been solicited into purchasing bogus aids for "male enhancement" by shameless appeals to their vanity?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word solicit distinct from other similar verbs?

The words ask and request are common synonyms of solicit. While all three words mean "to seek to obtain by making one's wants known," solicit suggests a calling attention to one's wants or desires by public announcement or advertisement.

a letter soliciting information

When is ask a more appropriate choice than solicit?

The words ask and solicit can be used in similar contexts, but ask implies no more than the statement of the desire.

ask a favor of a friend

Where would request be a reasonable alternative to solicit?

The words request and solicit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, request implies greater formality and courtesy.

requests the pleasure of your company

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 solicit The team is soliciting toenail donations (sorry, only from Canadians) to study a type of cancer that arises far from our feet–lung cancer. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025 This task, and the stop work order itself, came down from Syracuse’s senate, where faculty input was not solicited. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025 Kristersson had earlier this year advocated for the EU to pause its trailblazing new law regulating AI and pulled an AI tool from his campaign website after it was abused to generate images of him appearing to solicit an endorsement from Hitler. Nathan E. Sanders, Time, 4 Oct. 2025 Presidential libraries are one of the few ways a sitting president can solicit unlimited donations, including from foreign donors and governments, without having to disclose their source — so the full list of donors may never be public. Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for solicit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solicit
Verb
  • Fields couldn’t survey the field long enough to find his targets.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • For the poll, 1,046 Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 were surveyed to gauge the importance of morning routines, and how people prefer to structure their mornings for optimal well-being.
    Renée Onque, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, that has all changed over the past few days as reports from outlets including , and uncovered past messages from Platner written on the message board site Reddit – some of which have been deleted as Platner seeks to distance himself from them.
    Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Each brings its own pleasures, but those seeking traditional scares will best be served by Aster's acclaimed debut.
    Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Murray, in turn, was asked to be a two-way player in ways that were not necessarily originally expected for the young prospect with a deft shooting touch.
    David Aldridge, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Get people to ask hard questions about everything and not to trust anything on its face.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All of which begs the question, can—and should—Europe use the once-in-a-generation opportunity presented by decarbonization to reboot its own renewables supply chain, creating green jobs and sustainable wealth for the future?
    Andrew Saunders, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Ever since Long and Tate starred in Theodore Witcher’s debut, Love Jones, fans of the cult classic have been begging for a sequel.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Dining options are so good you may be tempted to stay on the property for your meals.
    Sara Liss, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025
  • And just in case they are tempted, Ghost has adopted a strict no-phones policy at its shows.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In 2000, World Soccer magazine commemorated the new century by interviewing FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Though there's no evidence that the exchange happened in real life, the Shoe Fetish Slayer was one of the many serial killers FBI special agent John Douglas interviewed while working for the Behavioral Science Unit.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Another business owner requested simplifying licensing processes and making renewals easier.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Before the crash, air traffic control audio captures the pilots requesting an altitude range — known as a block altitude — to maneuver the airplane.
    Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • After attending the Bluebird show, Walker Hayes impulsively invited McAnally to join him on his fall tour.
    Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Towards the end of the tour, the children were invited to hold some of the snakes that reside at the zoo.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Solicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solicit. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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