summons 1 of 2

noun

ˈsə-mənz How to pronounce summons (audio)
Definition of summonsnext
as in warrant
a written notice ordering a person to appear in court if you ignore a court summons, you will be fined

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summons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of summon
1
as in calls
to demand or request the presence or service of without explanation, the managing editor summoned me to his office

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

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

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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 summons
Noun
All of them were issued summonses for disorderly conduct and released. — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026 They were eventually arrested and are expected to be issued summonses and released. — Ali Bauman, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
Furniture, toys, and (almost) everything else Really Really Free Market is also in the business of free clothing, but the event summons Hoosiers bearing tradable goods of all sorts. — Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Aug. 2026 Their identities are revealed by a mechanical fortune teller named The Amazing Karnak (Sydney Harmon), who summons the memories of each teen in order to give one lucky soul a chance to return to life. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for summons
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summons
  1. warrant
  2. calls
  3. gathers
  4. musters
  5. subpoena
  6. invites
  7. assembles
  8. writ
Noun
  • Yuba City detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Childers.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The estimate is the science, the multiple the business warrants is the art.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of warrant
Verb
  • Johnny calls David with this update just in time to stop Cathcarts’ final offer from reaching the Taylor & Byrne camp.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Then in 1989, an assailant attacked an elementary school in Stockton, California, using an assault rifle to kill five people and wound 29, prompting public outcry and calls to restrict such weapons.
    — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of calls
Verb
  • When a storm, usually fed by unusually warm water, suddenly gathers a lot of strength, sustaining winds that increase in speed by at least 35 mph (56 kph) in 24 hours, it is called rapid intensification.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • As the cystic fibrosis community gathers this week in Atlanta for its largest annual gathering, Kramer-Golinkoff is hoping those patients will be a big part of the conversation, particularly after recent scientific setbacks.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of gathers
Verb
  • Catherine’s story line evokes a feverish what-if scenario in which a survivor musters the requisite recklessness, talent for murder, and wig collection to mete out retribution.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Every writer on our longlist brilliantly musters the power of words on the page to take the reader to new places, to see old places from new angles, to change minds.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 28 July 2026
Definition of musters
Noun
  • The only way to make the bad guys sweat is to hand them a subpoena — or, at the least, to depict them unflatteringly on television.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The labor department’s inspector general, Anthony D’Esposito, said during the briefing that his office has already issued subpoenas to the schools under scrutiny.
    — Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of subpoena
Verb
  • The island’s permanent Art House invites guests—of all ages—to get creative on canvas or pottery with the guidance of its resident artist.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The crisp, ethereal chimes of traditional wind bells (Fēngduó) resonate throughout the space, creating a calm atmosphere that invites visitors to connect with themselves and the world around them.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of invites
Verb
  • This business context foundation maps the relationships across content, people, projects, systems and domain knowledge, then assembles the unique context each AI agent needs to do its job.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Much like an engine compresses fuel before ignition, FLARE first assembles the fuel to high density before delivering a separate, rapid burst of energy to trigger fusion.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of assembles
Noun
  • This story has been updated to include the writ of habeus corpus filed by the Tates’ legal team on Wednesday.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Although his official writ covers only civilian affairs and not military policy, Netanyahu gave him a completely free hand, and Smotrich has used it to full effect.
    — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of writ

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summoning
summons
summonses
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Cite this Entry

“Summons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summons. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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