summons 1 of 2

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
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
This year, summonses will be sent to all types of buildings. Clio Chang, Curbed, 21 Jan. 2026 Each of the drivers received citations and criminal summonses, including for unregistered and uninsured motor vehicles. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
Sometimes the end almost reframes and summons everything that was going on at the beginning. Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025 Thrown into crisis, King Gwanghae summons Heo Gyun based on clues left behind and questions him about Hong Gildong’s identity. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for summons
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summons
Noun
  • After the crash, Evans continued to drive, got out of the sedan and ran toward a Motel 6, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
    Emerson Clarridge Updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Deputies took Johnson into custody several days later on a warrant for an unrelated charge.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Origin’s platform, powered by an AI engine the company calls Cuido, ingests and structures that fragmented data—from policies, contracts, renewals, broker reports, and vendor platforms—into a single, queryable system of record.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping represents one of more than 80 reported missing persons cases in the Tucson, Arizona, area, and calls attention to families' ceaseless efforts to locate loved ones.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Neal Kumar, Polymarket's chief legal officer, center, gathers with others during the bar's opening.
    Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Quick, tight, and dense, TDS gathers the latest automotive news bubbling around the globe and places it all in one spot.
    Joel Feder, The Drive, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In a typical election year, the interest in the down-ballot race for California insurance commissioner musters modest interest at best.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The king’s brother has other plans, leading to a dark time in the Pride Lands until Simba musters the courage to reclaim his rightful throne.
    Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The committee dropped the subpoena due to his declining health after learning of his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
    Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Phantom turned surveillance footage of Ghazali over to federal agents who came in asking about the sale and presented the store with a federal grand jury subpoena.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In that spirit, Steinem still invites friends and cultural luminaries to her Upper East Side brownstone for robust conversations about policy issues, or even just a good night’s rest.
    Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Set in a small Nenets community in the Arctic peninsula of Yamal, Nerkagi’s White Moss invites the reader into the impossible dilemmas of navigating an Indigenous life in the modern world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The group assembles in a staggered formation and uses hand signals to communicate road hazards and turns.
    Brenda Miranda, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
  • The track assembles into a classic floor-filler.
    Jesse Dorris, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The estate’s representative obtained a writ of garnishment on March 2 to collect on the judgment from Gottlieb’s bank account.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Alongside the figures, IFPI focused on several important narratives, perhaps none as existential as artificial intelligence’s impact on the industry (and humanity writ large).
    Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Summons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summons. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.

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