care 1 of 2

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as in concern
attention accompanied by protectiveness and responsibility that's an extremely valuable violin, so handle it with care

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something while you're under my care, you'll do as you're told

Synonyms & Similar Words

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care

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verb

as in to watch
to have an interest or concern for a teacher who cares what happens to her students long after they leave her classroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word care distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of care are anxiety, concern, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can anxiety be used instead of care?

The meanings of anxiety and care largely overlap; however, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

When might concern be a better fit than care?

While in some cases nearly identical to care, concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When would solicitude be a good substitute for care?

Although the words solicitude and care have much in common, solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

Where would worry be a reasonable alternative to care?

The words worry and care are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Examples 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 care
Noun
Snag discounted body care, candles, wallflowers, hand soaps, and sanitizers through January 17 during the Semi-Annual Sale. BaubleBar: Score an extra 50 percent off already discounted pieces from the brand Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift wear until January 5. Averi Baudler, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024 As the legislature convenes again in January, what new proposals are coming around women's reproductive care? David Farré, The Tennessean, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
But her family is Dalit, the lowest in the caste hierarchy, and the authorities are not inclined to care about her death until a Muslim boy becomes the suspect, triggering the community’s Islamophobia. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024 For payers, this proactive model offers a groundbreaking approach to care. Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for care 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for care
Noun
  • But, right now, any missed vote gets a lot of attention.
    CBS News, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2024
  • The Schumacher family has been at the center of public attention for a long time, particularly due to Michael Schumacher's illustrious career.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • For instance, cyber risks, a growing concern globally, can be tackled effectively by combining IT expertise with robust legal frameworks and family-wide training initiatives​. 2.
    Francois Botha, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Liverpool are not in a position where this is a huge concern, but Slot — whose attention to detail is regarded as one of his strongest traits — will surely want an improvement.
    Andy Jones, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Flash forward to the start of the season, and those worries were pushed aside after a 12-4-1 start to the campaign.
    Tyler Small, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Until this month, these worries have been purely theoretical.
    Billy Perrigo, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Cincinnati police said he was arrested and taken into custody.
    Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Mangione, 26, was taken into custody at a in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 in connection with the killing.
    Jenna Sundel, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • For taxpayers, the Coast Guard’s prudent budgetary stewardship is an amazing thing.
    Craig Hooper, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
  • This fall, Harvard Business School began teaching Su’s stewardship of AMD as a case study.
    Billy Perrigo, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • One element of fixing problems was investing heavily in building their own technologies, whether that involves the factory machinery, the management software that runs their plants, or the back-end systems that handle their data.
    Jim Vinoski, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • In late 2012, Dan Erickson was a twenty-eight-year-old aspiring screenwriter in L.A., working a dull job in office management at a door-parts company.
    Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Today, he’s intrigued watching his 11-year-old daughter.
    Deepti Hajela, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Earlier that year, the country had closely watched events beyond its eastern border in Algeria, whose national team was stirring excitement on a run to the last 16 of the World Cup in Brazil, where they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by eventual champions Germany after extra time.
    Simon Hughes, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Experience urges two measures of caution for every one of hope.
    Nick Danby, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
  • One person had caution tape wrapped around an injury as a tourniquet, said Matt Riester, a TeamHealth physician who oversees the emergency department at the hospital.
    Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near care

Cite this Entry

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/care. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

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