helping 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of helpingnext
1
as in aiding

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in assisting

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Dissimilar Words

helping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of help
1
as in supporting
to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end offered to help her widowed father when he moved into an apartment

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2
as in alleviating
to make more bearable or less severe the new ointment didn't help Josh's sunburn one bit

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3
as in preventing
to keep from happening by taking action in advance they couldn't help the way things turned out

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4
as in benefiting
to provide with something useful or desirable being independently wealthy certainly helped him during his years as a struggling young artist

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5
as in improving
to make better some minor revisions would help this essay immensely

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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 helping
Adjective
And right now, the Eric Dane story isn’t much helping. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
He is widely credited with liberalizing Israel’s economy and helping transform the country into a global high-tech hub. — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Maria would spend years debating the ideas of early economics with Malthus, his friends, and eventually his successor, helping to influence their thinking and inform their research. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 But our findings suggest that helping young people thrive requires more than treating symptoms. — Roxanne Prichard, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 The bigger opportunity is helping the whole organization move faster. — Joel Burleson-Davis, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Lorena has also starred for her native Brazil, helping win the 2025 Copa América Femenina. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026 However, Apple's more cautious AI approach may be helping the company of late. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 Ocean iron fertilization grew from the idea that iron-rich dust blown across the oceans during past ice ages fed blooms of phytoplankton, helping to lower atmospheric CO₂. — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Ohio isn’t just helping children leave struggling public schools. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helping
  1. supportive
  2. assisting
  3. alleviating
  4. preventing
  5. benefiting
  6. improving
  7. assistant
  8. aiding
Adjective
  • The Snow’s pressure-relieving foam combined with supportive springs results in a bed that’s comfortable, but not plush to a fault.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The nuns modeled how to create a sustaining, supportive community.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of supportive
Verb
  • Gritsyuk and Hischier each scored their fifth goal of the season, with Jesper Bratt assisting on both scores.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control section, which prosecutes spies, is assisting the DOJ in the case.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of assisting
Verb
  • Today, chatbots can run the actuarial numbers, potentially alleviating some uncertainty concerns by, say, offering a close approximation for achieving life milestones.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • These turnovers also set up touchdowns, alleviating the pent-up stress of the first half.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of alleviating
Verb
  • Riyadh said the discussions were aimed at keeping diplomatic channels open and preventing another escalation in hostilities.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Events unfold over one evening as a hurricane rolls in, blocking communication from the outside world and preventing reinforcements from arriving.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of preventing
Verb
  • Explore See latest videos, charts and news Gillies announced the project on social media alongside an auction benefiting Support Act, the Australian charity that provides crisis relief and mental health support to musicians and crew.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2026
  • More generally, the focus is on volume growth across Linde's end markets, especially electronics, which grew 18% last quarter, benefiting from the data center buildout.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz,Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of benefiting
Verb
  • The performance of hydrocarbons must be considered as part of a wider system that is simultaneously scaling clean electricity input and improving efficiency across the value chain.
    — H.E. Dr Abdulla Saif Al Jarwan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Voters in DeKalb County will decide whether to renew a special one-cent sales tax that goes toward improving schools.
    — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of improving
Adjective
  • The defeat came after the TCU chancellor’s resignation and was followed by the firing of an assistant coach.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The National Gallery Singapore’s chief curator Patrick Flores and assistant chief executiveChris Lee, are the latest to depart the institution in December amid a staff shake-up.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of assistant
Verb
  • Along with Williams, at least 14 other people, many of them friends and family of the escapees, were arrested and accused of aiding in the escape, including by providing food, cash, transport and shelter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The historical research aiding the film is conducted in collaboration with Caróu Oliveira, a Black historian dedicated to the study of slavery and the daily lives of Black women in the 19th century.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of aiding

Phrases Containing helping

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helpfully
helping
helping hand
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Cite this Entry

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

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