ENGAGES Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

engages

verb

present tense third-person singular of engage

as in occupies

to hold the attention of the challenging jigsaw puzzle engaged us all evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in faces

to enter into contest or conflict with the daring young captain was eager to engage the enemy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in commits

to obligate by prior agreement we can't go to the dance because we're already engaged to attend a piano recital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reneges

as in employs

to provide with a paying job the wealthy couple are looking to engage a handyman to take care of the estate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hires

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 engages If a hitter engages too early, the pace is then up to the pitcher. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026 The outsider who engages deeply can expose assumptions that insiders stopped noticing. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 An open-sided viewing carriage engages the senses even more intensely—but hold onto your hat tightly and pack a light jacket. — Steve Madgwick, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026 The sport also engages the body in ways many traditional cardio activities don’t. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026 Roberts greets groups of guests and celebrities with enthusiasm, engages them in conversation and poses for pictures. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 In each case, companies have less control over how their products and experiences are presented before a customer engages directly. — Teresa MacKintosh, Fortune, 13 June 2026 Learning to juggle engages motor systems, while studying a language relies more heavily on memory networks. — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 20 June 2026 Ben Zand, founder and CEO of Zandland, will deliver the opening keynote address that will reflect on what genuinely engages audiences today and how creators can build sustained audience connection in an increasingly fragmented media environment. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 19 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for engages

Verb

The show’s most memorable vignette centers on Thomas Cole’s Course of Empire, a suite of five paintings made between 1833 and 1836 that occupies a large corner at the back of the exhibition.

— Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
The primary suite occupies its own wing and comes complete with dual baths — one with stone and steam, the other with a soaking tub — a sun deck and private coffee bar.

— Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Definition of occupies

Verb

On Monday, McFarlane and two friends were outside the fencing, leaning against the metal barriers in front of the Department of Agriculture, which faces the National Mall.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Look at the racial hostility that Caitlin Clark faces from Black players and media members on a nightly basis.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of faces

Verb

The Supreme Court has declined to resolve whether innocent taxpayers can face unlimited IRS audit exposure when a return preparer commits fraud, leaving a split in the federal courts intact.

— Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Manco isn’t necessarily the most dynamic protagonist in the world, but he’s centered and relatable in his anxiety over aging and his genuine love for Sammy, and an amusing deadpan presence with an accent the actor commits too.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 25 June 2026

Definition of commits

Verb

Riles’s company now employs 18 people, and as of May, the company’s grown 43% year over year, according to John Helms, director of sales and business insights, clocking slightly over $10 million in revenue in 2025.

— Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Alyse Lopez-Salm, who lives in a small North Carolina town close to the military base that employs her husband, is one of the 35 million Americans who work from home.

— Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Definition of employs

Verb

Christoph Waltz voices Max, the film director who hires the Minions to act in his films during the 1920s.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 July 2026
Exposing city taxpayers to potential liability when CVI hires return to their past ways, which is known to happen, is extraordinarily misguided.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026

Definition of hires

Verb

This exercise immerses you in the outdoors and encourages you to appreciate even the smallest patches of green.

— Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Camping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is an otherworldly experience that immerses you in thousands of years of natural history.

— Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026

Definition of immerses

Verb

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Patients will first need prior authorization -- prescribing clinicians will submit documentation proving the patient meets strict body mass index (BMI) and health condition requirements.

— Sony Salzman, ABC News, 1 July 2026

Definition of meets

Verb

Interim work is often temporary cover while a company recruits a permanent hire.

— Sue Mysko, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Van Der Werf recruits unemployed or underemployed Europeans as young as 18-years-old, into a five-week boot camp run by military veterans to teach teamwork, strength, and discipline.

— Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026