Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tolerate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tolerate are abide, bear, endure, stand, and suffer. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

When would abide be a good substitute for tolerate?

While the synonyms abide and tolerate are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When is it sensible to use bear instead of tolerate?

The synonyms bear and tolerate are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

When could endure be used to replace tolerate?

The words endure and tolerate can be used in similar contexts, but endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

Where would stand be a reasonable alternative to tolerate?

In some situations, the words stand and tolerate are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When can suffer be used instead of tolerate?

While in some cases nearly identical to tolerate, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

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 tolerate Importantly, the treatment was well-tolerated across the study population, with no new safety concerns identified. New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025 Over the decades of LDP dominance of Japanese politics since it was established in 1955, voters tolerated endemic corruption because the LDP delivered economic growth. Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025 Here, grizzlies don’t equate people with food—as opposed to populated areas where alluring smells forge a connection—and have learned to tolerate humans, thanks to decades of naturalists adopting nonthreatening practices. Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025 The entire weekend left the 2025 Master champion reflecting on what should be tolerated on a golf course, telling ESPN and other members of the media that he was fed up by the end of the tournament. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tolerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tolerate
Verb
  • Simons didn’t let a lack of minutes early in his career ruin his spirit.
    Jay King, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Isan Elba Isan Elba let her hair down on the pink carpet.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While the jury is out on the exact cause of Harry Potter’s enduring popularity, Beach and Willner highlight an important point in its favor.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 12 Oct. 2025
  • This team as a collective seemed proud of their season, triumphant in raising the bar for an organization that not long ago endured a decade-long playoff drought.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the end, Krantz added, adopting a more strategic approach ultimately benefits customers, allowing companies to use their time and money more effectively by learning from the successes of others.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft robotic skin that allows vine-like robots just a few millimeters wide to navigate tight and fragile environments.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • An examiner shall have authority to accept such payment from any person authorized by this Act to make an application for listing, and shall issue a receipt for such payment.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The Bills have committed 35 penalties, 30 of them accepted for 209 yards.
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Premier League football in the 2000s could be dramatic and explosive, but what the nostalgia for that era ignores is the number of dour, sterile games there were, many of them settled by a goal from a set piece.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • At some point, the truth becomes impossible to ignore.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Theresa’s mother died in 2019, but her father stood with prosecutors at the news conference Wednesday.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Nobody is going to ‘cash out’, and Perez himself does not stand to benefit financially.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If time permits, disconnect utilities and appliances.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • This structural compatibility facilitates simultaneous quantum operations and permits smooth integration with current optical systems.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In August, a lawsuit accused OpenAI of encouraging a teenager’s suicide, intensifying scrutiny around how ChatGPT handles mental health interactions.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
  • While there were explosive offensive plays that contributed to this Falcons victory, their defense being able to handle Bills quarterback Josh Allen was just as important at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tolerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tolerate. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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