ACQUIRE Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

acquire

verb

ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r

Definition of acquire

as in to develop

to come to have gradually from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to earn

to receive as return for effort acquired a reputation for always arriving at his friends' house just as they were sitting down to dinner

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 acquire Tight end Darren Waller, who the team acquired a few weeks ago and who will go through the 2026 preseason without playing in one of its games. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026 Wright, for example, had signed a three-year, $3,125,000 contract with the Eagles before being acquired by the Browns—giving the undrafted Gen Z Wright an average salary of $1,041,667. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 In 2021, Hyatt acquired the Secrets Resorts brand, bringing Akumal and other Secrets properties into its fold. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 There is some thought that the former, the club-record transfer fee to acquire Luiz, won’t stand for long. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquire

Verb

After being implanted beneath the skin of their backs, the tissues developed their own blood supply and began to contract spontaneously.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
The company’s Lithium Ceramic Battery platform has been developed since 2012.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.

— Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
On Monday, those five writers — also DSA-LA members — panned the idea of an endorsement, saying Raman hasn’t earned it.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of earn

Verb

For leaders, cultivating an environment where people actively seek out and fill these gaps is what separates adaptive companies from stagnant ones.

— Stacy L. Hambleton, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
For years, the British American brothers cultivated the image that laws did not apply to them even as legal troubles mounted in the UK, Romania and the US.

— Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of cultivate

Verb

Oswego finished seven of its 11 drives by scoring points and gained 483 yards.

— Jerry Birchfield, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Iceland, which gained independence from Denmark in 1944, has a proud history of independence, of not allowing itself to be pushed around by bigger and richer European nations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

The contestants will have to design a wedding dress that showcases their style, and the winning design will be produced and sold by David’s Bridal.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
In the final moments of the game, Chad scores the game-winning touchdown, but a penalty sets them back with just two seconds left on the clock.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of win

Verb

Opponents also rallied around the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that come with full membership.

— Kwiyeon Ha, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Opponents rallied around fishing and the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that inevitably come with full membership.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of reap

Verb

According to the police documents obtained by Law & Crime, Weatherall, 22, ordered a Lyft ride to an apartment complex in Greenville.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
After obtaining the suspect's name and descriptions of both the man and his vehicle, DeLong cleared the call.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of obtain

Verb

Over the years, Allen has garnered praise from Inter Miami coaches for playing bigger than his size (5-9), for his versatility and coachability.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
After world premiering in 1990 in Cannes, where Depardieu won Best Actor, the film enjoyed a buzzy awards season garnering five nominations in the lead up to the 63rd Academy Awards, including for Best Actor and Best Foreign Language Film.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of garner

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acquirable

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Style

“Acquire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquire. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of acquire

verb

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