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as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position the old trick of using a fat phone book to elevate a child to a more comfortable position at the table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb elevate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elevate are boost, heave, hoist, lift, raise, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

When could boost be used to replace elevate?

The words boost and elevate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

In what contexts can heave take the place of elevate?

Although the words heave and elevate have much in common, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When is hoist a more appropriate choice than elevate?

In some situations, the words hoist and elevate are roughly equivalent. However, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

When can lift be used instead of elevate?

The words lift and elevate can be used in similar contexts, but lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

Where would raise be a reasonable alternative to elevate?

While the synonyms raise and elevate are close in meaning, raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

How are the words rear and raise related as synonyms of elevate?

Rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

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 elevate Carry the purse to elevate an otherwise basic jeans-and-a-tee look, or style it with a blazer and heels to wear to the office. Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2025 The event has free admission and takes guests for a musical stroll into the past to see how education has elevated the Orlando community. Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025 Many breweries around Denver tap into popular chefs and food concepts to elevate their taproom fare. Sara Rosenthal, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025 Nabers has the potential to be a great draft pick at No. 6 overall last year if the Giants can create and implement a plan that restores the roster, elevates him further and turns his production into wins. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for elevate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elevate
Verb
  • The sci-fi fantasy setting provided an opportunity for technical elements that excited cast and crew members alike.
    Noah Mitchell, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
  • One development that might excite investors would be a decision to split Eli Lilly stock.
    Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Those two should also help lift the club’s dismal infield defense.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
  • At one point, Musk lifted his son on his shoulders.
    Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • This is the second edition of this competition, with the first running from 2019-23 between seven teams, with Scotland winning while Papua New Guinea was relegated and Canada was promoted.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
  • The nonprofit had been set to receive $165,000 over three years to expand its farmers market and promote urban farming in the area, one of the poorer neighborhoods in Kansas City.
    Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Most of the sky will be collecting in the parts of your chart connected to important relationships and other people’s resources, and with Venus exalted in Pisces, love might reach you in the form of a care package or a helping hand.
    Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
  • While its fashion is increasingly more in tune with customers’ demand for clothing apt for outdoorsy experiences, the brand’s sustainability credentials and link with the sea are being exalted via lifestyle-leaning activations and communication initiatives.
    Martino Carrera, WWD, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The play ignited the crowd and elated his coach, who ran over and embraced Aidan Mahaney at the scorer’s table.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025
  • But hearing those very industrial and harsh sounds for the first time was such an elating feeling.
    Justin Curto, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
  • The event raised $3.5 million for pediatric cancer research.
    Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Applied had previously raised $42 million in 2022 from G42 and Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family, Bloomberg reported.
    Iain Martin, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Ina cleverly upgrades this childhood treat in a few easy ways.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2025
  • The plaintiffs, led by the National Treasury Employees Union, initially motioned for a temporary restraining order, but the judge upgraded it to a preliminary injunction, creating the foundations for a potential permanent ruling.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The designer’s Manhattan apartment, completed just months before her woefully premature death, perfectly captures her incisive eye and her steadfast belief in the ennobling power of great design.
    Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 8 Feb. 2025
  • The murder of six million Jews—and the question of whether the British authorities could have done more to save them—complicates an otherwise ennobling story of the country’s heroic stand against Nazism, its finest hour.
    Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near elevate

Cite this Entry

“Elevate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elevate. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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