ASSOCIATES Synonyms: 201 Similar and Opposite Words

associates 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of associate

as in travels

to come or be together as friends a socially ambitious couple who joined the country club in order to associate with the right sort of people

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Relevance

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as in identifies

to think of (something) in combination she still associates Memorial Day with her long-ago fiancé, who died in Vietnam

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in combines

to come together to form a single unit the elements hydrogen and oxygen associate to form molecules of water

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as in cooperates

to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members nations deciding to associate in order to remove trade barriers

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as in mixes

to take part in social activities you should try to associate with people your own age

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

associates

2 of 2

noun

plural of associate

as in colleagues

a person frequently seen in the company of another a number of his associates were members of organized crime, so he was a person of interest to the FBI

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as in coworkers

a fellow worker my associates at the office

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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 associates

Verb

Innova also associates afternoon snacking specifically with satisfaction, while other dayparts lean toward refreshment or indulgence. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 The Shiji associates Sun Tzu with Wu’s campaigns against its powerful rival Chu, including the campaign that culminated in the capture of the Chu capital, Ying, in 506 bce. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026 What being Southern meant to his father—and the values Duane associates with being a Southern gentleman. — Sid Evans, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026 The productivity boom everyone associates with the personal computer didn’t actually show up in the macro data until 15 years after the PC was commercialized. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 July 2026 The two-time Oscar winner, who was born in Concord and grew up in the East Bay, associates that sign with some of his favorite Bay Area childhood memories. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 June 2026 The third vessel, for example, contains circular discs symbolizing water, which Chan associates with rebirth. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026 Greene’s heart-to-heart media tour has been jarring liberals and anyone else who associates her with conspiratorial beliefs and outrageous comments. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025 Everyone associates that with us. — Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025

Noun

But if firms lean on AI to cut lower-level work, the risk is destroying the very avenue of apprenticeship that produces future senior associates and managers. — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 More recently, a ProPublica investigation revealed that the FBI had scrutinized dealings between Collins, her associates, and a major donor who ran a defense-contracting firm. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026 Pompey says that one in six partners at Goldman Sachs mentored a team, and some senior workers who have participated in the past coached the newest batch of associates. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 The next day—still drunk and still armed—Ike rounded up his associates, including brothers Tom and Frank McLaury. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Oct. 2026 Church leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 associates were convicted in the deaths of 190 children. — Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026 After stealing a valuable USB drive from a crime family’s son and passing it along, Harry must track it down before the young man’s associates make good on their threats against his wife. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 This feedstock swap has no impact on performance; the fibers still deliver the stretch, recovery and durability that the industry associates with Lycra® fiber. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026 In 2015, The Washington Post profiled teaching associates at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, including a theater actor who helped medical students learn pelvic examinations. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for associates

Verb

The Orionid meteor shower activity peaks when Earth travels through the densest section of the debris trail left by Comet 1P/Halley.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Health data travels from home medical devices through applications, cloud platforms and hospital systems before reaching a clinician, and each step widens the digital footprint.

— Ayush Jain, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of travels

Verb

The Draghi report on European competitiveness identifies productivity as the primary cause.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The directory identifies each group's mission, ideology, organizational role and documented protest activity, distinguishing direct organizers and participants from supporters and amplifiers.

— Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of identifies

Verb

The authentication process combines human expertise and AI integration to flag any suspicious activity and ensure that listings follow commercial industry standards.

— Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Made from cast iron, opal glass and decorative gold leaf, the clock combines Victorian and late-1930s elements.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of combines

Verb

When the weather cooperates, book an al fresco table among the pagoda trees and boxwoods of the lush garden that feels light years away from the city.

— Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
If risk is purely a market phenomenon, the response is to time entries and exits well and hope the cycle cooperates.

— Khalifa Aldhaheri, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of cooperates

Verb

The smartest cart usually mixes both, and the people eating out of it never need to know the difference.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026
All in all, three different hues of light green are used throughout the colorway, which also mixes in New Balance-appropriate gray while using contrasting red elements on the shoe’s signature Abzorb SBS cushioning pods.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of mixes

Noun

In practice, that means juniors sitting in on meetings to watch colleagues interrogate the numbers, being present when real decisions get made, and gaining experience in different departments.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The letter also urges scrutiny of her staff, donors, and colleagues.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of colleagues

Verb

In one sequence, Jay bonds with a wayward jellyfish — much like Tom Hanks with his volleyball, Wilson, in Castaway.

— Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
The young man who bonds with the ghost of his a–hole father while trapped in a gooey cushion of whale intestines stays with the ghost of his a–hole father.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bonds

Verb

Kwan’s push to expand the family office’s geographical footprint correlates with global wealth flows, as HNWIs worldwide look to diversify their assets across different geographies.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
But here in Texas, patio weather also correlates with football season, pumpkins and cider.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of correlates

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Style

“Associates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/associates. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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verb

noun

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