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

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 same That same poll says 74% of Black voters were backing the vice president. Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 And same goes for those of us affected by that struggle. Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 The way that witches look reflects those same fears, a physical manifestation of our anxieties. Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024 After resigning from that same council, Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, introduced her own proposal in bill SB 1221. Clara Migoya, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for same 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for same
Adjective
  • In 2022, the state governor’s race map was virtually identical.
    Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 9 Nov. 2024
  • Cytochrome c oxidase is a gene sequence critical enough to be conserved and nearly identical across individuals, but slight variations mean the gene can be used to easily distinguish between species.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • His plans threaten California’s clean air standards and immigration protections, affecting families, communities and the very quality of life that defines this state.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • There’s this extraordinary moment where the ending of the Jan 6th hearings were concluding at the very moment of his entire congressional career.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Eventually our list reaches more than a dozen more victims, nearly all with similar experiences, most of them bursting with a desire to talk.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • And because the two isolated genes are found in many other plant species, similar genetic editing may help improve other agricultural staples in the future.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The decrease is attributed to a decline in comparable store sales and strategic pricing investments.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The box-office success of Tim Burton’s Batman got CBS to open its checkbook to give those fans a comparable network show, and The Flash spared no expense.
    Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The potential for outsized influence by a foreign power in a country’s internal affairs is analogous to the American discussion over fracking.
    Daniel Markind, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The artist agents of recent years look to play an analogous role on behalf of artists themselves.
    Natasha Degen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near same

Cite this Entry

“Same.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/same. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on same

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!