1
as in bequeaths
to give by means of a will
willed their house to their adult children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pleases
to see fit
do as you will—I wash my hands of the whole affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in choices
the act or power of making one's own choices or decisions
you cannot force me to do anything against my own will
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wills
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Billionaires have started their own initiatives like Warren Buffett, Melinda French Gates, and Bill Gates’ The Giving Pledge, which attracted more than 250 billionaires who pledged to donate at least half of their wealth during their lifetimes, or in their wills.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Again, Stroheim presented a very long cut—in the nine-hour range—and found himself in a battle of wills with Thalberg.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
In fact, filming the entire episode was quite the experience as the actress spent a lot of time arguing with herself as Maddie and Sara engaged in a battle of wills for control over the call center.
—Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The roundtable at the end of episode five turned into a battle of wills and words with Michael trying to alliterate his way into taking out Colton and Colton expressing what increasingly appeared to be the will of the entire cast to be rid of Michael once and for all.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
In a modern world where free will is taken as a given, fate might be best understood as the tangle of powers that facilitate or obstruct individual wills.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott star in this wild psychosexual thriller, which finds a dominatrix and a young heir engaging in a battle of wills over one night in a hotel room.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Preparing for the end Bell and Buynak help clients through traditional support sessions as well as tools like life reviews and ethical wills, which provide structured formats for reflection on life and life lessons.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
Agnes virtually wills her back to life.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Patriots will play in Super Bowl LX, thanks to a 10-7 triumph over the Broncos in an AFC Championship that evolved into a wintry battle of wills.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Billionaires have started their own initiatives like Warren Buffett, Melinda French Gates, and Bill Gates’ The Giving Pledge, which attracted more than 250 billionaires who pledged to donate at least half of their wealth during their lifetimes, or in their wills.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Again, Stroheim presented a very long cut—in the nine-hour range—and found himself in a battle of wills with Thalberg.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
In fact, filming the entire episode was quite the experience as the actress spent a lot of time arguing with herself as Maddie and Sara engaged in a battle of wills for control over the call center.
—Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The roundtable at the end of episode five turned into a battle of wills and words with Michael trying to alliterate his way into taking out Colton and Colton expressing what increasingly appeared to be the will of the entire cast to be rid of Michael once and for all.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
In a modern world where free will is taken as a given, fate might be best understood as the tangle of powers that facilitate or obstruct individual wills.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott star in this wild psychosexual thriller, which finds a dominatrix and a young heir engaging in a battle of wills over one night in a hotel room.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Preparing for the end Bell and Buynak help clients through traditional support sessions as well as tools like life reviews and ethical wills, which provide structured formats for reflection on life and life lessons.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wills
Verb
-
His fervor for society pleases his mother Violet (Ruth Gemmell), but also frustrates her to the point of squeezing Penelope for information.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The new emphasis, and the current EPA’s view that economic interests should be critical to environmental rules, pleases many business groups.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nonhormonal choices such as copper IUDs and diaphragms can be invasive and bring undesirable side effects of their own.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Color design is increasingly moving from trend-chasing choices to intentional restraint.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At night, shadows from the tree leaves outside dance on the floor through the large window.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
-
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will talk to reporters at Gillette Stadium Friday afternoon before the team leaves for the Super Bowl in northern California this weekend.—
Mike Toole,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There were points Landfair wishes her parents could have had the discernment to intervene.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Birthday wishes are in order for Oprah Winfrey!—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Biological factors are also something the APA wants to incorporate better into the DSM.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Not everyone can afford or wants to pay for an expensive pair of noise-canceling headphones, especially if they only get used during air travel.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wills. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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