DISMISS Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

dismiss

verb

dis-ˈmis

Definition of dismiss

as in to remove

to let go from office, service, or employment the secretary was dismissed after it was discovered that she was stealing office supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to eject

to drive or force out the sick boy's nurse dismissed the visitors so he could get some rest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to minimize

to express scornfully one's low opinion of critics dismissed his music as mere noise

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 dismiss The lawsuit was garbage from the start and should be dismissed. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 In 2025, for example, a Georgia court dismissed a defamation lawsuit against OpenAI after its ChatGPT tool falsely accused Mark Walters, a radio host, of embezzlement. — Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 He was charged in a 2001 Hawaii felony theft case that was later dismissed and expunged, the Daily Herald reported earlier this year. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 Paramount's lawyers say lower courts have overwhelmingly rejected other attempts to expand the law’s reach, with district court judges dismissing most cases. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dismiss

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismiss

Verb

The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.

— Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

Department leaders are evaluating how to best deploy resources for different emergencies and minimize disruptions.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Research actually shows that having depression can more than double your risk for dementia, so don’t minimize it, Tucker says.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of minimize

Verb

After Miami scored in the second OT period, Omar Thornton sacked Daniels on first down, forced an incompletion on second down, got FSU to commit a false start and forced another incompletion to set up fourth and 21.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
He was sacked five times as Texas lost consecutive regular-season games for the first time since 2021.

— Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of sack

Verb

Group chats pulled from Nolan Wells' cellphone show what his friends said before and after the Mississippi teen vanished in early July following a boat outing with friends.

— Skyler Henry, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Bunnie Xo’s post-divorce fun is raising eyebrows after a cozy Waffle House outing with 24-year-old reality star Dylan Wolf sent fans into a frenzy over their age gap.

— Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of out

Verb

Nasser Barghouti, who is slightly leading Khan in large-dollar donations to American Priorities, simply stated that he is retired and residing in Dallas.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Speaking of bouncing back, the Saints have been looking for stability after legendary coach Jennie Kull retired following the 2022 season.

— Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of retire

Verb

The Industry actress was banished from Season 2 of The Celebrity Traitors last week and has reflected on her experience on the Studio Lambert series in an Instagram post.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
At that point, the group had botched its first two votes, mistakenly banishing two female faithfuls.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of banish

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dismembers

dismiss

dismissal

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Style

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

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Synonyms of dismiss

verb

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