sophisticates 1 of 2

noun

plural of sophisticate
as in cosmopolitans
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

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sophisticates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sophisticate
1
as in complexes
to make complex or difficult there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity

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2
as in dilutes
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup

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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 sophisticates
Noun
Heartland churchgoers, urban sophisticates, football neophytes—everyone got swept up in his will to win. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026 Despite parents’ efforts, allowances aren’t necessarily minting a new generation of financial sophisticates. — Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophisticates
  1. cosmopolitans
  2. complicates
  3. dilutes
  4. perplexes
  5. loads
  6. embarrasses
  7. cuts
  8. intensifies
Noun
  • As long as the overall drink remains sufficiently boozy, cocktails that contain citrus—such as margaritas, daiquiris, and cosmopolitans—can also work well or just require a few slight tweaks.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
  • Seedlip is ideal for non-alcoholic spritzes, palomas, cosmopolitans and similar classics.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
Definition of cosmopolitans
Verb
  • At Aeon Mall in Kashima, a gas explosion and collapsed upper floor killed shoppers and workers, trapping others as sweltering heat complicates painstaking searches for the missing.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Some of the sites where these interactions have been documented are also deeper cleaning stations that are rarely visited by divers, which further complicates assumptions about human influence.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of complicates
Verb
  • Instead, the new exhibit dilutes the story of slavery by surrounding it with material that has little to do with the President’s House at all, such as biographies of individual Founders and the ins and outs of various constitutional structures.
    — John Garrison Marks, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026
  • The salt dilutes in the water so that the berries won’t absorb any salinity during the brief soak.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 July 2026
Definition of dilutes
Verb
  • But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.
    — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Definition of perplexes
Verb
  • The servicer knows where to attach, what loads the hook can bear and what its cameras can use as landmarks.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • The robot also loads a plate into a dishwasher and adjusts a hospital-style bed.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
Definition of loads
Verb
  • Graft inquiry embarrasses Zelensky Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
  • Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of embarrasses
Verb
  • But because Abundance cuts across the conventional left-right axis, New York politicians left, right, and center can all be on the wrong side of it.
    — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
  • Extortion in Mexico is a multibillion-dollar racket that cuts across economic sectors and is linked to organized crime.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of cuts
Verb
  • The president addressed a smaller, heavily secured gathering Friday as his administration intensifies its legal and rhetorical attacks on journalists.
    — Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
  • The Chinese Communist Party purged another top official Tuesday, as Xi Jinping intensifies his anti-corruption drive.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of intensifies

Browse Nearby Words

sophisticated
sophisticates
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Cite this Entry

“Sophisticates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticates. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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