enter

verb

ˈen-tər How to pronounce enter (audio)
Definition of enternext
1
as in to penetrate
to go or come in or into the hikers entered the cave with considerable caution

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to join
to become a member of patriotic young men and women entering the armed services debutantes entering society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to record
to put (someone or something) on a list new voters fill out a form and elections officials enter their names into the database

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to receive
to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to the club enters only five new members a year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb enter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of enter are penetrate, pierce, and probe. While all these words mean "to make way into something," enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.

entered the city in triumph

Where would penetrate be a reasonable alternative to enter?

While the synonyms penetrate and enter are close in meaning, penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.

the enemy penetrated the fortress

When can pierce be used instead of enter?

Although the words pierce and enter have much in common, pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.

pierced the boil with a lancet

When is it sensible to use probe instead of enter?

In some situations, the words probe and enter are roughly equivalent. However, probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.

probed the depths of the sea

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 enter JaKyra Allen, 22, was in the first cohort of students to need a master’s degree before entering the dietetics workforce. — Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 Tourism is a way to escape your own world without fully entering another. — Caitlín Doherty, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 The plant entered decommissioning after its sale to Holtec International, which then applied to the Civil Nuclear Credit Program to reopen the plant. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026 The baseball season has entered the final month of the regular season. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enter
  1. penetrate
  2. join
  3. record
  4. receive
  5. access
  6. rejoin
  7. list
  8. pierce
Verb
  • Their forensic multi-scale remote sensing (MSRS) framework combines satellite radar, laser scanning, and ground-penetrating radar to find suspicious areas, investigate them in detail, and probe what may be happening underground.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This can be from a gunshot, bone fragment, or anything that would be used to penetrate the brain.
    — Connie Etermadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of penetrate
Verb
  • Martin, 22, joined the Pride ahead of the 2026 season after signing her first professional contract with the club in January following a standout collegiate career at Georgetown University.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Volunteers rush to save livestock and help Ranchers For the past 48 hours, Garrett Duvall and the Rancher's Navy have been moving through the burn zone, joining dozens of volunteers and crews trying to save livestock and help ranchers recover.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of join
Verb
  • Gravest Gravy, an album consisting of a dozen previously unheard tracks that were recorded in 1977, with Big Star’s Alex Chilton producing, captures the band’s pioneering psychobilly sound at its birth.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In great Coppola family tradition, the late Eleanor Coppola was behind the scenes, recording her own video diaries that would become Making Marie Antoinette.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of record
Verb
  • The few remaining workers maintaining the plant, however, received those benefits upon ratification.
    — Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Messages of greater than 100 words were more likely to receive a quick reply than short messages of 4-25 words.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of receive
Verb
  • The vast majority of patients across the nation should be able to access these vaccinations with very little barriers, very little hiccup.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In Amarillo, a former police officer was fired in July after accessing the Flock camera system more than 75 times for reasons outside police work.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of access
Verb
  • In both cases, Soto rejoined the Mets without a rehab assignment.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But, as her clairvoyant predicted, their paths had rejoined for good this time.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of rejoin
Verb
  • There isn’t room on a roster to list all the positions where North Chicago senior Amari Earl could play in a single game.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Omarr Norman-Lott is listed below, beginning the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of list
Verb
  • Still, traces of background radioactivity sometimes break the subterranean silence, with that activity piercing through LZ’s mile of protective bedrock or even seeping out of the materials lining the detector’s walls.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The bullet pierced the restaurant glass and left a diner with a minor injury.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of pierce

Phrases Containing enter

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ententes
enter
enterable
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Cite this Entry

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

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