recruit 1 of 2

verb

ri-ˈkrüt How to pronounce recruit (audio)
Definition of recruitnext
as in to hire
to provide with a paying job thousands of recent immigrants were recruited to build the nation's rail system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

recruit

2 of 2

noun

as in apprentice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity the skydiving instructor and other experienced jumpers tried to encourage the new recruits on their first jump

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 recruit
Verb
Some islands have managed to recruit students from elsewhere. — Lefteris Pitarakis, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 Gilroy recruited nine composers, each scoring a different fictional film within the film. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
Cahill, a Troy recruit, came up with five kills and five blocks as the Mighty Macs beat Assumption of Kentucky for the second time in three days with a 25-23, 25-17 decision in the finals. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Wilkerson was one of the dozens of recruits to take in the Horned Frogs’ top-10 showdown with the Cougars. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recruit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recruit
  1. hire
  2. apprentice
  3. employ
  4. novice
  5. freshman
  6. newcomer
  7. beginner
  8. rookie
Verb
  • The company began ramping up manufacturing and hiring earlier this year.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The film, billed as a biographical dramedy, tells the story of a chaotic boardroom crisis at OpenAI in November 2023, when co-founder Altman was fired and then re-hired at the AI giant.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hire
Noun
  • For carpenters, delays and poor weather conditions can disrupt the working hours apprentices need to complete their program, causing some to quit.
    — Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • More than half of the new money will go toward the CUNY Professional Development Institute to add 30 apprentices, doubling the total enrollment to 60 trainees, according to a press release shared with the Daily News ahead of the announcement.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprentice
Verb
  • The company is walking the walk, employing myriad strategies to stay current and anticipate consumer needs in an increasingly fast-moving market.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Siemens Healthineers is a medical technology company headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, and employs 74,000 people worldwide.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of employ
Noun
  • In the latest, The Big Cats Dance Party, a high-profile case falls to a novice sleuth while the agency’s founder is away.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • To a novice taster, sipping out of a plastic Mets carafe, the wine smelled like dry grass and very ripe blackberries.
    — Arthur Holland Michel, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of novice
Noun
  • How about subsidizing our next freshman class and bringing the cost down to $50K?
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Keaton Wagler, whose sensational freshman season propelled Illinois to its first Final Four in 21 years, is preparing for the NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of freshman
Noun
  • However, as Germany’s economic problems — slow growth, high inflation, rising energy prices — have worsened, public sentiment toward the newcomers has deteriorated.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That combination—veteran experience and newcomer mentality—may be the key to understanding the current moment.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of newcomer
Noun
  • The beginner's trap is expecting the Great Square to be compact and immediately obvious.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The evening will start with a beginner class, followed by intermediate instruction for more experienced terpsichorean talents.
    — Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginner
Noun
  • Park Hae-il plays the head of a newspaper’s social affairs desk, and Lee Min-ho a rookie reporter.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The previous Miami rookie mark was by Zach Thomas, who had 16 against Arizona in 1996.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of rookie

Browse Nearby Words

recrudescing
recruit
recruited
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recruit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recruit. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All