DISPATCH Synonyms: 214 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'dispatch' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of dispatch are assassinate , execute , kill , murder , and slay . While all these words mean "to deprive of life," dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death. // dispatched the sentry with one bullet

Q: When might 'assassinate' be a better fit than 'dispatch'?

While the synonyms assassinate and dispatch are close in meaning, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives. // terrorists assassinated the Senator

Q: When could 'execute' be used to replace 'dispatch'?

The synonyms execute and dispatch are sometimes interchangeable, but execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty. // executed by lethal gas

Q: Where would 'kill' be a reasonable alternative to 'dispatch'?

In some situations, the words kill and dispatch are roughly equivalent. However, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner. // killed in an accident // frost killed the plants

Q: When is it sensible to use 'murder' instead of 'dispatch'?

The words murder and dispatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility. // convicted of murdering a rival

Q: When is 'slay' a more appropriate choice than 'dispatch'?

The meanings of slay and dispatch largely overlap; however, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive. // slew thousands of the Philistines

dispatch 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈspach

Definition of dispatch

as in to send

to cause to go or be taken from one place to another dispatched a messenger with urgent news

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to kill

to deprive of life the exterminator dispatched the termites with professional efficiency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to assassinate

to put to death deliberately during his reign of terror the dictator dispatched thousands without the slightest qualm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to defeat

to achieve a victory over they dispatched the other team without breaking a sweat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dispatch

2 of 2

noun

di-ˈspach

as in letter

a message on paper from one person or group to another a soldier sending daily dispatches to friends and family back home

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in message

a piece of conveyed information a dispatch from headquarters regarding a change in battle plans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dispatch distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of dispatch are assassinate, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When might assassinate be a better fit than dispatch?

While the synonyms assassinate and dispatch are close in meaning, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When could execute be used to replace dispatch?

The synonyms execute and dispatch are sometimes interchangeable, but execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would kill be a reasonable alternative to dispatch?

In some situations, the words kill and dispatch are roughly equivalent. However, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident

frost killed the plants

When is it sensible to use murder instead of dispatch?

The words murder and dispatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When is slay a more appropriate choice than dispatch?

The meanings of slay and dispatch largely overlap; however, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

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 dispatch

Verb

More important than the figures themselves is the engine’s broad, effortless power delivery, which makes the Carrera T feel eager whether carving through a mountain road or dispatching a stretch of freeway. — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026 After an alert went out early on Friday, two coastguard boats and a navy helicopter were dispatched to the area and other nearby ships were rerouted. — CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Noun

Bend police officers arrived at Silver Rail Elementary School within three minutes of the first dispatch call, officials said. — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 According to dispatch audio, neighbors nearby called police, saying Thomas locked himself in the home after the stabbing. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dispatch

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispatch

Verb

In an email sent to priests of the archdiocese on Saturday afternoon and shared with NPR, Archbishop Ronald Hicks also said the deal had not yet been signed but that an agreement had been reached with plaintiffs and their attorneys.

— Chandelis Duster, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Union Berlin managed to draw at Augsburg 1-1 after a player from each was sent off in separate incidents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of send

Verb

Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.

— JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
The military campaign that ensued has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

Riehle made it to Broadway in 1986 with a role in the Emily Mann drama Execution of Justice, which centered on the trial of Dan White, who assassinated San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978.

— Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
Earlier that year, King had been assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of assassinate

Verb

This was the sixth year in a row that the Yankees failed to defeat a higher-seeded playoff opponent.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Although supporters say the fear that billionaires will flee the state are overblown, the ultrawealthy have made moves to potentially avoid paying the tax or are funding campaigns to defeat it.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeat

Noun

Brennan said his letter was based on direction offered by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in November.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
The letters on Friday came on the heels of a statewide sweep by federal authorities on Monday, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of letter

Noun

Whether that message drives home a lack of affordability as gas, food and home prices surge or stokes fears about the rise of communism in the American heartland, Democrats and Republicans are spending a lot of time thinking about what to say.

— Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Ohioans are getting bombarded with Republican ads on tax cuts, but the message is falling flat with many voters who feel the weight of higher prices.

— Jarrell Dillard, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of message

Verb

Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Animal diseases also threaten our economy and food system, destroying more than 20% of global livestock production each year.

— Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Peltola, during a candidate forum Friday, became emotional speaking about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people and said additional law enforcement resources are needed.

— Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Peltola, during a candidate forum Friday, became emotional speaking about the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people and said additional law enforcement resources are needed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of murder

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dispatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispatch. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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noun

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Synonyms of dispatch

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noun

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