train 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrān How to pronounce train (audio)
Definition of trainnext
1
as in entourage
a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a movie star who never goes anywhere without a train of personal assistants to cater to his every whim and need

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in fleet
a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a train of supply trucks making its way to the army encampment

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in queue
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another already a long train of ticket buyers waiting outside the stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in sequence
a series of things linked together you've broken my train of thought—now what were we talking about?

Synonyms & Similar Words

train

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to prepare
to bring to a proper or desired state of fitness has been training track-and-field athletes at the school for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to teach
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field will train the students in good study habits

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to focus
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective train all your thoughts on imagining how you'd score the winning goal in the game

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal trained his eyes on the distant bull's-eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to equip
to make competent (as by training, skill, or ability) for a particular office or function he's so experienced that they usually use him to train new recruits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of train are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and teach. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than train?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When could educate be used to replace train?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When is it sensible to use instruct instead of train?

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

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to train?

While in some cases nearly identical to train, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When might teach be a better fit than train?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

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 train
Noun
The confrontation started when Jose-Duarte, 46, got on a downtown No. 5 train at Grand Central Station at about 8:25 a.m. Friday and at some point stepped on the victim’s shoes, police said. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025 The vast majority of those from San Diego were sent by train to the Santa Anita racetrack in Los Angeles County, a holding place for thousands being relocated from around Southern California. —Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
Flight with ‘Fumes in the Cabin’ Makes Emergency Landing in Boston After Striking a Bird As outlined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as most portable electronic devices have a lithium battery, flight crews are trained to recognize and respond to lithium battery fires in the cabin. —Moná Thomas, People.com, 1 May 2025 For professional bodybuilders, especially, this ability to train at high intensity without the risk of injury is essential. —Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for train
Recent Examples of Synonyms for train
  1. entourage
  2. fleet
  3. queue
  4. sequence
  5. prepare
  6. teach
  7. focus
  8. aim
Noun
  • Things aren’t so fractious now, but generally players still like to keep their distance from one another, typically spending their time at tournaments with their entourages.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Throughout the video, fans can hear the back-and-forth between Bieber's entourage and photographers.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of entourage
Noun
  • And there could be signficant upsides for the company’s broader business, such as expanding the user base for Amazon Web Services and providing connectivity to the company’s fleets of shipping vehicles.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Delta alone saved more than 40 million gallons of fuel in 2024 by optimizing operations and upgrading its fleet.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Definition of fleet
Noun
  • Comments The weekend is here, which means a fresh batch of movie and TV titles are in the queue.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 1 May 2025
  • Fans of those imports—and, really, anyone who could use a pick-me-up—should add another title from the public broadcaster to their Netflix queue: North of North.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Definition of queue
Noun
  • The entire sequence unfolds at Galilee Gulch, played in the show by a mansion on Lake Murray, just outside the state capital of Columbia, that happens to be the largest single-family residence in South Carolina, at around 18,000 square feet.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Early in the first half against Villa, one sequence demonstrated the two most outstanding aspects of Lavia’s game: his ability to receive and retain the ball under pressure, and his talent for identifying and playing line-breaking passes that give his team an advantage.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Definition of sequence
Verb
  • Currently, the world’s cardinals are preparing for the papal conclave this Wednesday, hosting general congregations ahead of the Vatican event that will see the Sistine Chapel’s ceremonial chimney eventually release white smoke in celebration of the election of the 267th pope.
    — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 May 2025
  • The region famously prepares its tea through pan frying and steaming methods, too, which yields unique and vivid expressions.
    — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 4 May 2025
Definition of prepare
Verb
  • The film’s director, Catherine Masud, who teaches at UConn, will present and discuss the film on May 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Real Art Ways.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
  • The way the Church teaches also needs to be more in action than through mere words.
    — Mark R. Francis, Time, 10 May 2025
Definition of teach
Verb
  • For Catholics, the pope acts as a moral compass by speaking out on matters of faith and principles; Francis focused on social justice and reaching out to marginalized communities.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Instead of focusing on the failure itself, focus on the reasons behind it.
    — Bruce Arians, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Definition of focus
Verb
  • Talks likely aimed at deescalation, not a deal While no breakthrough — and certainly no trade deal — is expected, the meetings are widely seen as a first step toward cooling trade tensions.
    — Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 9 May 2025
  • And in recent months Silva has doubled down on work with her counterpart in the finance ministry on a $125 billion fund aimed at protecting tropical forests around the world.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 9 May 2025
Definition of aim

Phrases Containing train

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trails
train
trainability
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Cite this Entry

“Train.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/train. Accessed 14 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on train

Nglish: Translation of train for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about train

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