as in cosmopolitan
a person with the outlook, experience, and manners thought to be typical of big city dwellers
sophisticates laughing at people they thought of as hicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complex
to make complex or difficult
there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of sophisticate
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
For Foster’s second win, she was remade as a bona fide A-lister: a sleek Hollywood sophisticate with nothing to prove.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
The tech industry has pounced on the idea that robots will soon be sophisticated enough to replace humans in a host of tasks, with more than $3 billion in venture funding going to humanoid development last year.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sophisticate
Noun
Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
For Foster’s second win, she was remade as a bona fide A-lister: a sleek Hollywood sophisticate with nothing to prove.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Logistically accelerating techno-economic interactivity crumbles social order in auto-sophisticating machine runaway.
—James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
The tech industry has pounced on the idea that robots will soon be sophisticated enough to replace humans in a host of tasks, with more than $3 billion in venture funding going to humanoid development last year.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sophisticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophisticate
Noun
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In that series, Michelle Pfeiffer’s cosmopolitan Stacy Clyburn learns to embrace the American West after a tragedy forces her to leave New York City for the Madison River Valley in central Montana.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
-
If top-level soccer is now played by something like rootless cosmopolitans, it’s financed by billionaires who are no longer primarily European.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, radiation would dilute the fastest, meaning its energy density drops faster than the other components.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
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As the cultural background of Sacramento’s Little Italy Historic District has become diluted in recent decades, one small business in the area is celebrating a major milestone and still honoring its Italian roots.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the investments may complicate Steyer’s campaign narrative as an anti-plutocrat progressive who aims to tax corporations and the rich to fund policies like single-payer health care.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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Charlotte entered the night fifth in total defensive rating at 111 over the better portion of the past three months, and the reason is apparently not all that complicated.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In their second trips to the plate in the fourth inning, Caglianone singled, Collins was hit by a pitch, and Isbel bunted for a single to load the bases.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ripa had a brutally honest response locked and loaded.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The second is a 100-day sludge line that will poison the reserves oil-hungry nations are racing to drain.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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But would someone go so far as to poison a tree to keep the view open?—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bay Area institutions, including San Francisco Ballet, have withdrawn from Kennedy Center engagements, part of a broader exodus that has thinned programming and unsettled the arts community.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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This guide breaks down the most credible thinning hair treatments and products on the market, grounding each recommendation in what the evidence actually says.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Cavaliers led by as many as 36 points, but the Heat went on a third-quarter run to cut the deficit to 19 in the final seconds of the period.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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Reduce the lot size, cut the square footage, and a house should cost less, supporters said.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sophisticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticate. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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