fate 1 of 2

Definition of fatenext
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fate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fate distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fate are destiny, doom, lot, and portion. While all these words mean "a predetermined state or end," fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

the fate of the submarine is unknown

When is it sensible to use destiny instead of fate?

The words destiny and fate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

Where would doom be a reasonable alternative to fate?

The synonyms doom and fate are sometimes interchangeable, but doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

How do lot and portion relate to one another, in the sense of fate?

Both lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance.

it was her lot to die childless

In what contexts can portion take the place of fate?

While in some cases nearly identical to fate, portion implies the apportioning of good and evil.

remorse was his daily portion

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 fate
Noun
If the Premier League’s bottom club hoped to draw a symbolic line under their season from hell with the confirmation of relegation from the Premier League, they were left sadly disappointed by events at Molineux in the first game since their fate was sealed. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 Eve Plumb sat on a sofa in a Hollywood studio bungalow in 1969, a 10-year-old child actress listening quietly as two men decided her fate. Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
Elsewhere, the Dolphins are engaged in a full-on tank, and the Jets are the Jets, fated for failure until further notice. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026 Sparkling Miss Camberg was fated to wed the man whose name so closely mirrored her own. Miranda Seymour, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fate
Noun
  • With tricky remaining fixtures, that 38 per cent probability could very easily increase by next week, but Nuno’s side will be keen to keep their destiny in their own hands for as long as possible.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • What are the pros and cons of the ways filmmakers can take their destiny into their own hands?
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The uncounted ballots would not have affected the outcome of the November statewide special election for Proposition 50, the county office said in a news release Wednesday.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
  • The outcomes were especially positive for those with lung cancer.
    Devika Rao, TheWeek, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Since Gateway’s demise, Northrop has been positioning the HALO module as an option for a surface habitat, and Europe may also suggest that I-HAB be used on the surface as well.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Perhaps the owner’s unexpected absence was an indication that the rumors about my imminent demise were wrong and that things were not so certain.
    Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Times’ possible victory would bruise the Post’s reputation (they were destined to clash again over the Pentagon Papers).
    Peter Bart, Deadline, 7 May 2026
  • The unscripted casting director has spent her career scouting and vetting everyday people destined to be TV characters.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Our justice system depends on public confidence, and, as a result, the rules governing lawyers in every state are strict.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • The Sun open the regular season Friday with a road rematch against the Liberty, and the team has some big decisions to make after Sunday’s result with final rosters due Thursday.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • But those numbers capture only a fraction of deaths, which often are classified only by other, more immediate causes, such as bleeding in the brain.
    Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026
  • Too much damage has been done to the character in recent years, to the point that any death would be seen as a mercy killing now.
    Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • Financial turmoil worsened by soaring jet fuel prices doomed the budget carrier, leaving thousands of customers scrambling for flights on other airlines.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
  • In the year 2027 (which is somehow just one year from now, please stop, passage of time), Children of Men imagines a world where women have been infertile for years, dooming humanity to a slow extinction.
    Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • The resultant panic attack lands her back in the psychiatrist’s office.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Did Trump not realize what Iran’s reaction would be to being attacked — closing the Strait of Hormuz and a resultant global economic impact?
    Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fate. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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