1
2
as in to gather
to call into being through the use of one's inner resources or powers managed to summon a bright smile despite the gloomy day

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to muster
to bring together in assembly by or as if by command summoned a special session of parliament

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word summon different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of summon are call, cite, convene, convoke, and muster. While all these words mean "to demand the presence of," summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

How are the words call and summon related?

Call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

When can cite be used instead of summon?

In some situations, the words cite and summon are roughly equivalent. However, cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

How do convene and convoke relate to one another, in the sense of summon?

Convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

When is convoke a more appropriate choice than summon?

The words convoke and summon can be used in similar contexts, but convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

When might muster be a better fit than summon?

Although the words muster and summon have much in common, muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

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 summon Hundreds of generals and admirals — senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers — have been summoned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from all over the world to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, with little notice. Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025 Even after the Tennessee National Guard was summoned to restore order, staunch segregationists refused to let up. Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Sep. 2025 But will Republicans be able to summon the pragmatism to take advantage of this self-defeating Democratic disarray? U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday summoned the Pentagon's top commanders from around the world to a meeting in Virginia next week. Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for summon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summon
Verb
  • Scammers will call or text consumers claiming to be a legitimate institution, such as a bank or a government institution.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2025
  • In an interview with Ars Technica, Fiaschetti said the company plans to keep Arcs in orbit for extended periods, ready to descend when called upon.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Days after a gunman drove a truck into a Grand Blanc Township church and opened fire on worshippers, killing four people and wounding eight, hundreds gathered in Flint for a community safety briefing focused on crisis response and prevention in houses of worship.
    Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Britain’s first-past-the-post system makes any nationwide third party difficult to muster.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The Red Sox were eliminated from the postseason in Game 3 of their wild card series against the Yankees, a game where Boston mustered just five hits all night and got a runner as far as second base exactly once.
    Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While other people were asking about promotions, titles, and raises, Burns was taking on the problems nobody else wanted to solve.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
  • McMahon has encouraged states to ask her to waive rules on spending the money.
    Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kobach has petitioned top Republican lawmakers to convene a special session with the goal of blocking the Kansas Department of Revenue from resuming its practice of accommodating gender marker change requests, according to a letter sent to GOP lawmakers and obtained by The Star.
    Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Dozens of students and faculty members convened in front of the school’s South Building, with many individuals wearing masks and holding flags, WRAL reported.
    Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The entire scene unfolded on Neuheisel’s network, which invited viewers to witness the emotional roller coaster of a father rooting for his son.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Years ago, around 2010, her friend from the University of Kansas, Abigail (yes, that Abigail), and her boyfriend at the time invited Fulk to see Abigail’s friend perform at a nearby concert.
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All the while, the enchanted garden where Travis would get down on one knee was being assembled outside of his and Swift’s house.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The trailer shows Hemsworth’s Geralt assembling an army of adventurers to track down his former Witcher apprentice Ciri (Freya Allan).
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Summon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summon. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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