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 is the same genius who just a few months ago gave all these scooter riders the freedom to go down one-way streets the wrong way, not having to stop for red lights or stop signs, by forbidding police from writing criminal summonses to them. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026 New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ended the practice of issuing criminal summonses to e-bike riders for minor infractions this year. Ali Bauman, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
In an attempt to regain her powers, Lucia accidentally summons a cosmic entity known as Altair. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Favreau’s work is clearly indebted to that lineage, and Grogu’s solo jaunt actually summons a bit of whimsy that was otherwise missing. David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for summons
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summons
Noun
  • By comparison, prize law does not require a captor to have a warrant or tie a vessel’s seizure to a violation of an existing stature.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • After years of legal proceedings in the United Kingdom and Romania, the Tates were arrested in Miami by US Marshals on July 18 on provisional arrest warrants requested by Britain.
    Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • West, an Alaska cardiac nurse, calls him Gabriel and is asking a Texas judge to give her sole conservatorship, which would put medical decision-making in her hands.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The maid who let the Clue Gang into the room calls the demonstrably quite fallible Philly cops, who arrive in force.
    Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • If Europe gathers substantially more unwanted clothing without creating that accompanying infrastructure, greater volumes could instead flow into reuse exports, downcycling, incineration or disposal.
    Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Established in 2006, Music In The House gathers the nation’s music industry to salute leaders in music for both their artistic achievements and their broader contributions.
    Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
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
Noun
  • The businesses that thrive will be those that treat every transcript as a possible legal record from day one, not after a subpoena arrives.
    Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The ruling upheld the January district court decision that first quashed the subpoenas.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Jeff Arnett invites visitors to pour their own bottle of Tennessee whiskey in the bottling room in Townsend, TN.
    Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Clad in reflective sheets of corrugated aluminum that extend six inches into the ground, the square structure invites curiosity.
    Sean Santiago, Architectural Digest, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Progress Center assembles the workhorse vehicle for Russia, the Soyuz-2 vehicle, as well as the newer Soyuz-5 rocket.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Scott Winans, center, of Palisade Cycle & Shuttle and the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, supports a beam as a small crew assembles the first parts of a memorial shelter on the Palisade Plunge cycling trail in November 2025.
    Logan Smith, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Missouri law also provides court processes that can be used in some circumstances to challenge whether an official can remain in office, including a writ of quo warranto.
    Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Israel hopes to expand its de facto borders, including by annexing as much as possible of historic Palestine, and to impose its writ by force across vast swaths of the region.
    MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Summons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summons. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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