sophomore

noun

Definition of sophomorenext
as in freshman
US a person in the second year of high school or college She's a sophomore in high school.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 sophomore One of the biggest changes Moore made ahead of the Oregon State game was at quarterback, switching out junior starting quarterback Caden Pinnick for sophomore Owen Eshelman. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026 Franco Geldart, a 20-year-old sophomore at Northeastern University, joined a cooking club his freshman year. — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Her daughter, 17, had played in the program during her freshman and sophomore years. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim‘s documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes widens to 2,600 theaters domestically on Friday for its sophomore frame. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sophomore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophomore
  1. freshman
  2. junior
  3. student
Noun
  • The 5-foot-10, 185-pound redshirt freshman has been a key part of the Knights’ ground game, rushing for 162 yards on 32 carries and scoring two touchdowns.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Oregon State is off to a 5-2 start, 3-0 in conference play, behind talented sophomore quarterback Braden Atkinson and Heisman Trophy hopeful freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of freshman
Noun
  • Luna and Kris Caravantes were the only juniors to start for the Vikings.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles had several impact players throughout the season, including senior Jayda Palumbo, freshman Emma Luehrs, junior Jada Stephenson, junior Lia Ray and sophomore Melia Samms.
    — Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of junior
Noun
  • Calhoun graduated from Cincinnati in 2004 and was a student assistant under Huggins during the 2003-04 season.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • School districts in New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri have included caffeine pouches in student conduct policies or prohibited their use on campus.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of student

Browse Nearby Words

sophistry
sophomore
sophomores
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All