teach

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of teach are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When can discipline be used instead of teach?

The meanings of discipline and teach largely overlap; however, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When is educate a more appropriate choice than teach?

While the synonyms educate and teach are close in meaning, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When could instruct be used to replace teach?

The synonyms instruct and teach are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to teach?

In some situations, the words school and teach are roughly equivalent. However, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is it sensible to use train instead of teach?

The words train and teach are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

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 teach Jeanette Dalton, who taught emotionally-disabled students at PCES for 35 years, echoed Nusbaum’s sentiment. IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025 What’s weirder still is that all of them are students in one classroom, the one taught by Justine (Julia Garner). Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Public speaking builds confidence, improves critical thinking, and teaches teens to organize their thoughts clearly. Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 Welch will teach the course again this fall, now offered to undergraduates, full-time and part-time MBA candidates, and all other post-graduate students, with one mega-section of 150. Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for teach
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teach
educate
Verb
  • The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
    Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Dressed in baby blue matching shirts, the Milwaukee Beach Ambassadors have been working to educate Lake Michigan beachgoers on current and water conditions since 2021, an effort spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Teach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teach. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on teach

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!