summoning

verb

present participle of summon
1
as in calling
to demand or request the presence or service of without explanation, the managing editor summoned me to his office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gathering
to call into being through the use of one's inner resources or powers managed to summon a bright smile despite the gloomy day

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in mustering
to bring together in assembly by or as if by command summoned a special session of parliament

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 summoning That prompted South Korea to accuse Ukraine of breaching a nondisclosure agreement about the transfer and summoning Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires for an explanation. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 The women recall Haworth summoning them to a garage where they were pressured to undress and have fully nude photos taken of themselves as rock ‘n’ roll music blared. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026 Before this dilemma can play out, Hal triggers an Indiana Jones–esque booby trap inside the compound’s stronghold, summoning Macon’s men with their advanced weaponry. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 After the initial group of firefighters got to the scene, a second alarm was called, summoning more fire and hazardous material crews to the blaze. — Ahmad Hemingway, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The woods could be hiding places of witches and sorcerers, disguised as the old and feeble, but capable of summoning wonder and terrors, charms as well as curses. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Various Maji clans such as the Omi Clan, or Maji of Water, and Ikú Clan, or Maji of Life and Death, practice different forms of magic, with Omi Tiders wielding waves and Ikù Reapers, like Zelie’s mother, summoning souls. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 July 2026 The book recounts the Russian attack on the town through the eyes of a magical forest spirit who protects it, summoning floodwaters and winds to drive away the invaders. — Constant Méheut, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Attendees will enter the iconic Lament Configuration puzzle box, summoning the Cenobites and opening a gateway to a dimension full of unspeakable horrors. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summoning
  1. calling
  2. gathering
  3. mustering
  4. asking
  5. assembling
  6. hailing
  7. convening
  8. inviting
Verb
  • As of last week, Moore is calling offensive plays for the Cougars, and the team has also made a change at quarterback.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Fraschilla has been calling Big 12 basketball for a quarter-century and knows the conference landscape as well as anybody.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of calling
Verb
  • Think of your home as a simulated work environment in which everyday chores — like unloading the dishwasher or gathering ingredients for a meal – are a chance to learn.
    — John Gill, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Judging by the steady lunch crowd gathering inside the new La Fetta space on its second day open, maybe another location was the right decision after all.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of gathering
Verb
  • The Red Wings took 13 shots in the third period after mustering only 11 in the first two.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The wealth tax opponents have applied the age-old technique of mustering superficially plausible, but largely imaginary, consequences of passage.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of mustering
Verb
  • After the shooting took place, the university issued a statement on X asking members of its campus community to stay away from the area.
    — Samantha Cookinham, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The neurologist emphasized that patients should feel comfortable asking questions and getting a second opinion.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of asking
Verb
  • When DeSantis took office and began assembling his team, Florida faced the same cultural pressures as the rest of the country.
    — Kimberly Bird, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Ukraine has earned worldwide recognition for its cutting-edge drone industry, designing and assembling systems that have changed modern warfare.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of assembling
Verb
  • Across Russia and neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan and Belarus, outages have affected services ranging from online payments and business operations to search, navigation, ride-hailing and food delivery.
    — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The price of a ride in a Green SM vehicle will depend on the time and distance, Walker said, but will be competitive with Uber Comfort, an elevated ride-hailing option.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of hailing
Verb
  • The execs sent a hefty memo to employees laying out goals and followed up by convening a town hall.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Behind closed doors, the Nuggets broke into three units and scrimmaged for three full quarters Friday afternoon, their first game simulation since convening for a training camp that has been largely focused on granular schematic details.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of convening
Verb
  • One bill sent to the governor lifts some restrictions for public university and college board members to join, inviting more qualified candidates.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • At night, the Sycamore trees glow with lantern light, inviting guests to indulge in late night cocktails and conversation.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of inviting

Browse Nearby Words

summoned
summoning
summons
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Summoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summoning. Accessed 27 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 milieu

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