1
as in to amuse
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
entertain the kids while I go and prepare dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to contemplate
to give serious and careful thought to
have you ever entertained the thought that you could be wrong?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to have
to keep in one's mind or heart
I don't entertain the hope of ever getting a girl like that to go out with me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of entertain
The two shared single hotel rooms with two double beds, trading notes on their new jobs and entertaining themselves after long days.
—
Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
That being said, at least the delusion wasn’t otherwise supported or entertained, as had occurred with the other generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The Lloyd Webber family are aligned and share the vision of LW Entertainment: to create, entertain, excite, challenge, disrupt, and inspire audiences across many art forms for generations to come.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Zelensky cited intelligence reports from his country’s military command claiming that the Russian president has no intention of entertaining a ceasefire or ending the war with Ukraine.
—Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for entertain
Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
That being said, at least the delusion wasn’t otherwise supported or entertained, as had occurred with the other generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The Lloyd Webber family are aligned and share the vision of LW Entertainment: to create, entertain, excite, challenge, disrupt, and inspire audiences across many art forms for generations to come.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Zelensky cited intelligence reports from his country’s military command claiming that the Russian president has no intention of entertaining a ceasefire or ending the war with Ukraine.
—Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for entertain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entertain
Verb
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The black-and-tan longhair dachshund, named Linky, appeared amused in the short clip shared to TikTok on August 5 by his owner, under @lincolnshiresausagedog.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
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The same friends who drove the country last summer decided to drop off their rental car in Dubrovnik and fly one-way back to Zagreb, amused to be on the same cramped flight with the exceptionally tall members of the Croatian men’s basketball team.—
Amy Nelson,
Twin Cities,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hodges has been contemplating his future, talking with God to figure things out.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The bottom line is downright depressing: short of a direct U.S. military intervention that no serious analyst would contemplate, Trump’s toolkit to will a Ukraine peace deal into existence is bare.—
Daniel DePetris,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Padres relievers had the better game, but the Kershaw-Vásquez result was a two-run deficit.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
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The Rapids, who sat in 10th when Mihailovic departed, have seven games to go in the regular season.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Born in a cave more than 60 years ago, Mrs. Hậu regales us with a lifetime’s wisdom—local folklore, natural history, personal methods for fighting COVID—while one of her grandchildren, in the here and now, faces a heartbreaking domestic struggle.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
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During our drive, Alex, a seasoned Hawaii resident with over 20 years of experience, regaled us with fascinating facts and local lore about the Islands.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Michael Bier of Foul Territory TV also pondered a division with the Royals, Rangers, Astros and Cardinals.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
18 Aug. 2025
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Thomas and Irish director Mark Cousins pondered over the state of the film industry during a 90-minute conversation, which also covered Harvey Weinstein, Harry Cohn and Thomas’ time spent with some of the biggest filmmakers in history.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Regardless of what the future holds, Roman Anthony has set himself and his family up for life, and the Red Sox have locked in yet another piece of their future at a reasonable rate.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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He is being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sometime in their discussions, McVay began to embrace a new, holistic view of the game; zooming out before each matchup to consider an opponent’s history, coaching philosophy and the connective tissue between its offense, defense and special teams.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
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Even the budget-friendly Igloo, which doesn’t perform at the same level as a rotomolded cooler, did quite well considering its price point.—
Francesca Krempa,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The ownership of the tree would be shared between the neighbors, and both homeowners retain the right to trim or prune parts of the tree that hang over their property.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
15 Aug. 2025
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The Citizen Redistricting Commission, an independent entity first formed in 2008, would retain power over state legislative redistricting, and that body would regain power of congressional redistricting after the 2030 Census, Newsom said.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Entertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entertain. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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