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Definition of trainnext
1
as in entourage
a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a movie star who never goes anywhere without a train of personal assistants to cater to his every whim and need

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2
as in fleet
a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a train of supply trucks making its way to the army encampment

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3
as in queue
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another already a long train of ticket buyers waiting outside the stadium

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train

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verb

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2
3
as in to focus
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective train all your thoughts on imagining how you'd score the winning goal in the game

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4
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal trained his eyes on the distant bull's-eye

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
as in to equip
to make competent (as by training, skill, or ability) for a particular office or function he's so experienced that they usually use him to train new recruits

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word train different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of train are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and teach. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than train?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When could educate be used to replace train?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When is it sensible to use instruct instead of train?

The synonyms instruct and train are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to train?

While in some cases nearly identical to train, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When might teach be a better fit than train?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

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 train
Noun
Walt Disney waves from a train on Disneyland’s opening day in 1955. HubSpot, 1 June 2026 Born in 1928 in Mendoza before moving to Buenos Aires at the age of 14, Le Parc was the son of a steam train driver. Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Verb
In laboratory tests, the team trained their plasma jet on samples of Staphylococcus caprae, a skin bacterium previously detected on the ISS. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026 For Liden, who trained as an architect and is known for her interventions in public space, this is a remarkably domestic work. Erika Landström, Artforum, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for train
Recent Examples of Synonyms for train
Noun
  • His entourage subdued Sirhan as a teenage busboy cradled the injured Kennedy.
    Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 May 2026
  • Chapman’s character was part of the entourage of Tracy Jordan (played by Morgan).
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • For less than the price of one such vessel, the Navy could add a fleet of unmanned surface and undersea vehicles that could address a broad range of risks.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
  • The images reveal more than 80 pads for possible use by China’s expanding fleet of mobile missile launchers and air-defense batteries.
    Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Now Minnesota wants in, and at least nine more state legislatures (including Massachusetts) have similar bills in the queue.
    Yaël Ossowski, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
  • But Vulcan is also sidelined at present and has a long line of Space Force payloads in the queue.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • So find some ways to sequence and get deeper into counts.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
  • An essential seven-email nurture sequence then teaches, builds trust, handles objections, and ultimately closes sales automatically.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • This Sisyphus of Silicon Valley is on the front lines of a rapidly expanding industry of robot trainers, preparing to teach and operate the army of humanoid robots scheduled to march out of nearby factories in the coming year.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
  • As Guerrero prepares for another season as the centerpiece of the Blue Jays after signing a 14-year, $500 million extension, Bichette's latest comments serve as a reminder of the pressure the pair faced together in Toronto.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that rescue divers were teaching the villagers how to dive out of the cave themselves, as the space is narrow and water levels are not coming down despite efforts to pump the water out.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • However, Hargitay taught an advanced lesson by opting for a trickier pair of ankle jeans.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • But focusing on that figure alone shows a fundamental misunderstanding of civics, said James Owens, a spokesman for DeGette’s campaign.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
  • While that is still a possibility, Breslow hasn’t interviewed any candidates and is right now focused on supporting Tracy.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • Officials have described the overhaul as a long-overdue restoration effort aimed at addressing decades of deferred maintenance, including deteriorating infrastructure, water damage, failing HVAC systems and structural concerns throughout the building.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2026
  • Halverson continued to aim for consistency and dependability.
    Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 28 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Train.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/train. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

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