as in cosmopolitan
a person with the outlook, experience, and manners thought to be typical of big city dwellers
sophisticates laughing at people they thought of as hicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complex
to make complex or difficult
there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sophisticate
Ian Volner, Artforum, 28 May 2025
Its release comes amid a burgeoning arms race for salary cap tools and sophisticates.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 17 Aug. 2025
By popular belief, never proved legally, Lansky sophisticated the Mafia’s crude leadership of the 1920s and 1930s -- showing them the subtleties of financial manipulation, concealment and investment of the proceeds of bootlegging and gambling.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sophisticate
Noun
How things have changed: My interlocutor was one member of a large and diverse constituency of urban sophisticates who espouse comparable positions, not infrequently in the same gratingly defiant terms.
—Ian Volner, Artforum, 28 May 2025
Its release comes amid a burgeoning arms race for salary cap tools and sophisticates.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
Entire ecosystems of expertise had blossomed in academia and government to model the scenarios that might lead to Armageddon, and the resulting game theory, though sophisticated, was relatively straightforward.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 17 Aug. 2025
By popular belief, never proved legally, Lansky sophisticated the Mafia’s crude leadership of the 1920s and 1930s -- showing them the subtleties of financial manipulation, concealment and investment of the proceeds of bootlegging and gambling.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sophisticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophisticate
Noun
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Alas, Jewish skeptics of Zionism who preferred to think of themselves as cosmopolitans found no reprieve.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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The adjective cosmopolitan only begins to describe Sajet, who has had important life experiences on four continents.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bleach should never be used on a mattress, even if it's diluted.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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Without the requirement to protect majority-minority districts, Republicans would have far greater freedom to redraw congressional maps in ways that dilute the voting power of Black and other minority communities—areas that tend to favor Democrats.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the Supreme Court ruling and ongoing redistricting measures may complicate the political landscape even further.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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The aftermath of a ruling against him also could be complicated, if the government must issue refunds for the tariffs that had collected $195 billion in revenue as of September.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The ashes from the crematorium chimney covered the streets, sooted the rain, dirtied the snow, damaged the crops, infected every body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
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At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sanford jarred the ball loose as Zollers was loading up to pass, and the ball caromed to A&M’s Dalton Brooks virtually in stride behind Zollers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Nov. 2025
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The seller will load the grating for transport, but won't secure the load.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Brit List script, which treads the line between black comedy and drama, is set in the early 20th Century Hungary where a village knitting club takes it upon themselves to poison their abusive husbands with arsenic.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
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People who are rude or unaware with receptionists can poison your culture, create unnecessary hierarchies, and drive your best people to leave.—
Jessica Neal,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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From towering lemon pies to delicate cookie thins, this collaboration captures Martha Stewart’s timeless elegance, giving dessert lovers a chance to celebrate the season with style and a little extra sweetness.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Nov. 2025
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This native plant doesn’t need much pruning other than to maintain its shape, remove dead or diseased branches, and thin it out as needed to improve circulation.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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An emergency order by the FAA on Thursday said airlines have to cut traffic by 4%, resulting in about 800 flight cancellations for Friday that increased to over 1,000 throughout the day, according to FlightAware.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Southwest Airlines cut about 120 flights Friday.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sophisticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticate. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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