Synonym Chooser

How is the word same different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of same are equal, equivalent, identical, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route
derived from the selfsame source

In what contexts can equal take the place of same?

Although the words equal and same have much in common, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When could equivalent be used to replace same?

The synonyms equivalent and same are sometimes interchangeable, but equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When might identical be a better fit than same?

While in some cases nearly identical to same, identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

How is very related to other words for same?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

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 same Brown made the Pro Bowl that same season and then another two years later. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 Our next two episodes are out this weekend – same bat-time, same bat-channel . Alex Sherman, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025 If these sunny Mary Jane ballet flats immediately put a smile on your face, same! Victoria Montalti, Refinery29, 3 Apr. 2025 This 2019 retread attempts to squeeze that same emotional response out of viewers, simply by recreating every frame through photorealistic CGI. Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for same
Recent Examples of Synonyms for same
Adjective
  • Musk's political action committee used a nearly identical tactic before the presidential election last year, offering to pay $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Musk's political action committee used a nearly identical tactic before the presidential election last year, offering to pay $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition supporting the First and Second amendments.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • As he's proven in his current role as the very bro-y brother on White Lotus — not to mention his Kennedy family lineage — Patrick Schwarzenegger definitely has the chops to pull it off.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The very premise of the production is a gimmick, a way to let an actor show off and dazzle the audience with some tricks.
    Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The men and women in the study had similar nicotine use, sleep habits, cholesterol levels, and obesity rates.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Loyola Chicago took a similar path to the NIT, winning nine of their last 11 games to raise their record from 12-8 to 21-10 before bowing out in the second round of their conference tournament.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The most far-reaching version of Trump’s strategy would raise the effective, or average, tariff on U.S. imports to about 20%, comparable to the heavy import duties the nation imposed in the 1930s and that contributed to the Great Depression, Zandi said.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There are several solutions Baltimore could implement immediately to fix its open records process, like creating an online request center comparable to most other large cities.
    John Hart, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In Pachter’s comparison, mobile games are analogous to McDonald’s, while Nintendo is the steakhouse.
    Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The league maintains the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Seventh, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits have held that consumers in analogous situations to Salazar suffered no concrete harm when the transmission was non-public.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Same.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/same. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on same

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