SYNONYM Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

synonym

noun

Definition of synonym

as in equivalent

a word having the same meaning as another word He needed an synonym for "cold," and decided to use "freezing."

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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 synonym Until this additional proposition is demonstrated, agency and intention cannot simply be treated as synonyms. — Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 However, salt and sodium aren’t synonyms—and knowing the difference matters for making healthy food choices. — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 17 Aug. 2026 Simply replacing common words with synonyms or antonyms would be too easy for a smart scraper to reverse. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 Which is why people are still talking about Mangione’s case, using his name as a synonym for the verb to kill, and mirroring aspects of his alleged crime, more than a year later. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for synonym

Recent Examples of Synonyms for synonym

Noun

Set in a garden near the Bahnhofstrasse shopping drag (Zurich's equivalent of Fifth Avenue), the hotel looks right onto Lake Zurich and the Alps—but that's not the only nice view.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Cuts to pensions or benefits of China’s own state employees in the coming years might produce a modern equivalent.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of equivalent

Noun

The resort also has laundry machines for guests to use—a nice alternative to per-piece laundering service.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Consider Inside Membership a slick, Uber-like alternative to traditional PR agencies, streamlining the process of bookings, content creation and measurement of ROI, since it’s all enabled by proprietary technology.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of alternative

Noun

Fuelled in part by the overprescription of painkillers like OxyContin in the 1990s, the market for unregulated substitutes exploded into what became regarded as an epidemic by the turn of the millennium.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026
Then manufacturers learned to crush cottonseed for oil to be used in soap, cooking and as a substitute for animal fats.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of substitute

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synods

synonym

synonymous

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Style

“Synonym.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/synonym. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of synonym

noun

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