collects 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of collect
1
as in contains
to gain emotional or mental control of applicants should collect their thoughts while waiting to be interviewed

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2
as in accumulates
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass dust has been collecting under my bed for years

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in compiles
to bring together from several sources into a single volume or list collected the author's early short stories, which were originally published in several obscure sci-fi magazines

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4
as in assembles
to bring together in one body or place she collects antique silverware

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5
as in gathers
to come together into one body or place a crowd collected at the beach as the sun slowly set over the horizon

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collects

2 of 2

noun

plural of collect
as in invocations

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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 collects
Verb
This collects about 8,000 original documents and other elements linked to the house’s perfume and beauty archives, totaling about 5 percent of its full collection. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 After a dietary supplement goes to market, the FDA periodically inspects its manufacturing facilities and collects and tests some products. — Andrew Yockey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 The purchase will be funded through the city’s capital facilities fee, which collects money from new development to pay for police facilities and other infrastructure needed to accommodate growth. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026 One of the largest donors to a pop-up super PAC supporting Muslim or pro-Palestinian candidates is the president of an Islamic organization that collects obligatory religious donations mandated by Sharia law. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026 Each lancet carries a flexible valve that moves within an enlarged chamber, or bulb, where venom collects before being expelled. — Mike McRae 12, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026 Bauwens collects Snoopy figurines; Mage, Western and Native American art. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026 Missouri defense collects takeaways to overcome slow start When the Tigers’ offense has started games slow, the defense has been dependable for stops and takeaways. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026 An external circuit board collects and amplifies the readings. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collects
  1. contains
  2. accumulates
  3. compiles
  4. assembles
  5. gathers
  6. invocations
  7. composes
  8. amasses
Verb
  • If the brain’s primary goal is to reduce prediction error, this way of being contains a trap.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The origin story of Silicon Valley contains two contradictions.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of contains
Verb
  • The descent into crisis-club territory usually happens by degrees, a malaise that accumulates slowly as one poor performance follows another.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This creates a point in the circular segment where tension accumulates, which in turn leads to the formation of a pointed edge.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of accumulates
Verb
  • The video posted by @LiviesHQ compiles drafts of drawings, recordings of 3D animations, and more.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
  • This independent organization compiles lists of needs for developing communities (think school supplies or clothing), and guests can bring these items from home to give to those in need.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of compiles
Verb
  • Simpler battery packs lower costs The company buys battery cells and assembles its own packs rather than manufacturing the cells themselves.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • His team then assembles mood boards using references from films, music videos and other media before developing sketches and finalizing designs.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of assembles
Verb
  • An agent that gathers records or checks for required information may operate with limited intervention.
    — Heather Bassett, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • When a storm, usually fed by unusually warm water, suddenly gathers a lot of strength, sustaining winds that increase in speed by at least 35 mph (56 kph) in 24 hours, it is called rapid intensification.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of gathers
Noun
  • Bailey, a downstate farmer seeking to reverse his loss to Pritzker four years ago, sought to turn the governor’s frequent invocations of Trump into a game.
    — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Throughout, Lee’s invocations imbue his subjects with an air of divinity.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of invocations
Verb
  • The man composes his responses with the help of a manual that instructs him on which incoming string of Chinese characters should be answered with which other string of Chinese characters.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Agent authority composes dynamically.
    — Harsh Singhal, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Definition of composes
Verb
  • Speakers noted the Republican nominee's oil and gas investments as the energy sector amasses profits while the Iran war drives up fuel costs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Kang amasses writings from over the course of her career, beginning with her Nobel lecture and reaching deep into her life’s documents, with diaries, poems, and photographs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
Definition of amasses

Browse Nearby Words

collectors
collects
colleen
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Cite this Entry

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

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