serve

verb

ˈsərv How to pronounce serve (audio)
Definition of servenext
1
as in to attend
to be a servant for he served his master faithfully for 20 years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to suffice
to be enough they made the pasta serve for eight guests

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to do
to be fitting or proper those old riding boots will serve for now, but you'll need newer ones for the horse show

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to treat
to behave toward in a stated way my parents served me well in preparing me for life

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to act
to have a certain purpose the harsh punishment served to teach everyone a lesson

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to benefit
to provide with something useful or desirable an excellent college that served her with the skills necessary to make it in today's job market

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 serve Fleming was received from Los Angeles County in 2019 to serve a 42-year sentence for second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Setting good and bad examples There are examples of long-serving politicians choosing to plan their exit closer to standard retirement age. — Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 The Choir is produced for Apple TV by Various Artists Limited and TidyTwo, with Phil Clarke, Jack Bayles, Jones and Corden serving as executive producers, and BAFTA Award nominees Jennifer Sheridan and Jim Archer set to direct. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 All 64 units will serve low-income households earning up to 60% or less of Area Median Income (AMI). — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for serve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serve
  1. attend
  2. suffice
  3. do
  4. treat
  5. act
  6. benefit
  7. fit
  8. handle
Verb
  • The TikTok user who posted the video of Anderson suggested that the women had booked to attend eight performances.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev attended a ceremony at Thessaloniki's Museum of Byzantine Civilization, where the remains were kept, before the handover.
    — COSTAS KANTOURIS, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of attend
Verb
  • But those previously mentioned four skills where superhuman performance could suffice to kill all humans (hacking, persuasion, planning and coordination, uninterpretable reasoning) mean that generalization matters only so much.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • When operations are predictable, legacy systems of record can suffice.
    — Allan Malcolm, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of suffice
Verb
  • Until today, human scientists have been the agents responsible for discovering cancer cures, and for doing so they (and key associates) have been showered with academic credit and awards, perhaps even a Nobel Prize.
    — Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In a game that looked lopsided for the better part of three quarters, the Chargers did enough Sunday to scare the defending Super Bowl champions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of do
Verb
  • England, which aims to eliminate the virus by 2030, has already met its goal of treating 80% of its hepatitis C infections.
    — Philip A. Chan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Measure your numbers, work with a clinician and stop treating hormone health as something to hide.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of treat
Verb
  • In that government post paying almost $70,000 a year, Jamal acted as a liaison with the Somali community.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Let Congress know how dire the situation is (or will be, if there’s a failure to act).
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of act
Verb
  • The cards built around it benefit from and push for a longer, more relaxed game.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In IconArrows pointing outwards While Berkshire is making a bet that Lennar will benefit from a long-term recovery in the nation's troubled housing market, Morgan Stanley is pessimistic about the stock's more immediate future.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of benefit
Verb
  • Its obvious artificiality and absurdity fit neatly into an online meme culture that often revels in the uncanny.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Audi has also fitted the Q9 with all of its latest technology and driver assist features.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of fit
Verb
  • Spin is the result of eight years of research and development started in 2016 and handled by a team of about 10 tech, fashion and entertainment professionals in addition to Albrighi and Kuo, who serve as co-chief executive officers of the company.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In that case, however Taylor & Byrne chooses to handle her will be an advantage to Cathcarts.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of handle

Browse Nearby Words

servants
serve
served
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on serve

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about serve

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