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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complexes
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sophisticates
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
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
Noun
-
There's a matinee for students and daytime explorers and a Saturday night outing for date-night cosmopolitans.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
If top-level soccer is now played by something like rootless cosmopolitans, it’s financed by billionaires who are no longer primarily European.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cynical congressional map dilutes Black voting power to target a kingmaker.—
Kathleen Parker,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
-
The complaint also claims that the image deceives customers into thinking Lipa has endorsed the product and dilutes her brand identity.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The landmark debut — and the potential capacity squeeze caused by other blockbuster listings in the pipeline, such as OpenAI — further complicates the outlook for Europe's IPO space, which is already grappling with ongoing bond market volatility and the prospect of looming interest rate hikes.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
What complicates this form of identification is what happened the following year.—
Michael Van Sickler,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The tragic discovery was made by a Union Pacific employee who loads and unloads cargo at the Union Pacific Railroad Port Laredo Intermodal Terminal before trains head north, The New York Timesreported.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
On the plus side, Lexus loads the RX with safety tech.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 May 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
-
Coverage of the candidates’ debates underscores a level of political engagement and conflict that cuts against the article’s emphasis on apathy and confusion.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
As local public transit cuts loom later this year, Kansas City’s bus service will expand this summer, temporarily, to meet higher demand during the FIFA World Cup.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Verb
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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
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Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
And two, baking soda is an indiscriminate weed killer that poisons the soil.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sophisticates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticates. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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