engage

verb

in-ˈgāj How to pronounce engage (audio)
Definition of engagenext
1
as in to interest
to hold the attention of the challenging jigsaw puzzle engaged us all evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to face
to enter into contest or conflict with the daring young captain was eager to engage the enemy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to commit
to obligate by prior agreement we can't go to the dance because we're already engaged to attend a piano recital

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to employ
to provide with a paying job the wealthy couple are looking to engage a handyman to take care of the estate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum my sister and her boyfriend have engaged a chauffeured limousine for the prom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 engage The Baton Rouge Police Department identified the victims as 21-year-old Leah Fonte and 21-year-old Shane Hirstius, who were engaged. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Expect retailers to lean harder into scarcity cues such as small production runs, early-access windows for loyalty members and social-media teasers, all designed to keep shoppers engaged through a longer calendar. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026 Their characters were fan favorites who began dating in Season 2 before getting engaged and married in the final season. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026 The gang eventually released its hostages but dug into the tiny nearby hamlet of Bois D’Avril, into which Prince’s foreign ex-special forces flew in September, engaging them in an hours-long firefight. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for engage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engage
  1. interest
  2. face
  3. commit
  4. employ
  5. hire
  6. occupy
  7. meet
  8. recruit
Verb
  • What interests me most is the idea of giving young people an ownership stake in a company helping shape the future of space exploration.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Which is perhaps why the inclusion of Atari BASIC interests me more than another collection of retro games.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of interest
Verb
  • The group has faced criticism over its stances on various issues, including the wars in Gaza and Iran.
    — Saige Miller, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The move also lands weeks before Election Day, as Hochul faces Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman, who has criticized her for not opting in sooner.
    — Lara Murray-Sterzel, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of face
Verb
  • Foul trouble hit Miami early The Hurricanes committed 13 personal fouls in the first half.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
  • With support from Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania hedge-fund billionaire who is committed to school vouchers, Abbott got detractors voted out of office.
    — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of commit
Verb
  • The location is set to employ around 100 people and will feature a full-service dining room and bar, private dining room, carryout, delivery and catering service, a news release from Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria said.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Much of that growth came from banks and other financial firms hiring AI talent, though the Bay Area still employs more AI specialists.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of employ
Verb
  • Jennifer Shuford, who had been Texas’s health commissioner, was part of a team hired to restore confidence in the agency.
    — Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Spoelstra and May became even closer when the Heat hired his son, Jack May, as a video room intern a few years ago.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of hire
Verb
  • He had been courted by an investment group to helm a vast space on North Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood, previously occupied by a Spanish-leaning restaurant called Soulmate.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In June, Israel launched a preëmptive strike against Egypt, setting off the Six-Day War, and proceeded to occupy the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
    — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupy
Verb
  • Tonight, Venus, your ruler, meets the Sun and could illuminate how your values have shifted during its retrograde.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In 2015, five people with ROS1+ cancer met in a bar at an advocacy event.
    — STAT Staff, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of meet
Verb
  • Lee recruited a friend to help move the box to her bedroom, but the setup itself took less than 10 minutes.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Atlanta rapper just announced Fresh—the follow-up to his 2025 studio effort Wham and subsequent mixtape The Leaks—and has recruited frequent collaborators Future and Young Thug for features, alongside Rylo Rodriguez, Bally Baby, and Fatt Smaxx.
    — Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of recruit

Phrases Containing engage

Browse Nearby Words

enfranchising
engage
engaged
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Cite this Entry

“Engage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engage. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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