ASSOCIATES Synonyms: 201 Similar and Opposite Words

associates 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of associate

as in travels

to come or be together as friends a socially ambitious couple who joined the country club in order to associate with the right sort of people

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Relevance

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as in identifies

to think of (something) in combination she still associates Memorial Day with her long-ago fiancé, who died in Vietnam

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as in combines

to come together to form a single unit the elements hydrogen and oxygen associate to form molecules of water

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cooperates

to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members nations deciding to associate in order to remove trade barriers

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as in mixes

to take part in social activities you should try to associate with people your own age

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

associates

2 of 2

noun

plural of associate

as in colleagues

a person frequently seen in the company of another a number of his associates were members of organized crime, so he was a person of interest to the FBI

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as in coworkers

a fellow worker my associates at the office

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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 associates

Verb

Innova also associates afternoon snacking specifically with satisfaction, while other dayparts lean toward refreshment or indulgence. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 The Shiji associates Sun Tzu with Wu’s campaigns against its powerful rival Chu, including the campaign that culminated in the capture of the Chu capital, Ying, in 506 bce. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026 What being Southern meant to his father—and the values Duane associates with being a Southern gentleman. — Sid Evans, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026 The productivity boom everyone associates with the personal computer didn’t actually show up in the macro data until 15 years after the PC was commercialized. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 July 2026 The two-time Oscar winner, who was born in Concord and grew up in the East Bay, associates that sign with some of his favorite Bay Area childhood memories. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 June 2026 The third vessel, for example, contains circular discs symbolizing water, which Chan associates with rebirth. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026 Greene’s heart-to-heart media tour has been jarring liberals and anyone else who associates her with conspiratorial beliefs and outrageous comments. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025 Everyone associates that with us. — Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025

Noun

In 2015, The Washington Post profiled teaching associates at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, including a theater actor who helped medical students learn pelvic examinations. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026 The office declared that the doctrine covers not only official advisers, but can also expand to cover outside associates consulted by the president in certain circumstances. — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026 But one of Patterson’s closest and most loyal associates, Bob Gimlin (interviewed in the documentary), got nothing. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026 Clients and friends of Moncler, students from Parsons School of Design, and members of Leibovitz’s circle of friends and associates, will be attending. — David Moin, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 Biss and other candidates criticized Fine, the state senator, for support from AIPAC associates. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 Netanyahu has been accused of offering or exchanging favors with wealthy associates and media moguls for political gain. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 At least one copy fell into the hands of the Gestapo, which was hunting for Seghers and interrogating her associates. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The indictment also names Pulido’s son, Emmanuel Enrique Rubio González, and two other alleged associates. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for associates

Verb

Despite the expansion of Starlink and other communications satellite services, most of the world’s Internet traffic still travels through subsea cables crisscrossing the ocean floors.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
In two Top-10 matchups in the final week of the regular season, Loyola hosts Mount Carmel — and Hersey travels to Prospect.

— Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of travels

Verb

If an assessment identifies an imminent threat covered by the bill, evaluators must notify Commerce within 72 hours of completing their review.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
The Commission’s proposed 46% target falls short of that ambition, and of its own analysis, which identifies 50% as the economically optimal pathway to 2040.

— Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of identifies

Verb

In modern nuclear weapons, conventional explosives set off a fission reaction—the splitting of big atoms—whose intensity then ignites a fusion reaction that combines light atoms.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Its formula combines peptides, niacinamide, and exfoliating lipohydroxy acid to help skin look smoother and brighter, while keeping it hydrated for hours.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of combines

Noun

New Skydance content sales chief David Decker was all smiles at the WBD stand, able to look over and see his new Paramount colleagues just along the beachfront.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Eventually, Chili invites Lee over to his house, far away from the ears of his former colleagues shooting pool at Secrets.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of colleagues

Verb

The young man who bonds with the ghost of his a–hole father while trapped in a gooey cushion of whale intestines stays with the ghost of his a–hole father.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Mia, the kindly next-door neighbor, and her daughter, Noora (Henrikke Lund-Olsen), who bonds with Elia at school.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of bonds

Verb

Joshua Childs, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Texas at Austin, said attendance correlates to whether a student is engaged in their academics and in their relationships with peers and teachers.

— Lina Ruiz October 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026
The evidence is compelling that leadership effectiveness correlates with business performance.

— Bill Koch, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of correlates

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Style

“Associates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/associates. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of associates

verb

noun

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