fates 1 of 2

noun

plural of fate
1
as in destinies
a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand the belief that it was this country's fate to extend from sea to sea

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2
as in outcomes
a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause the fate of the presidential election hinged on a few thousand votes in a single state

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in deaths
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities he met his fate in a tragic highway accident

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fate
as in destines
to determine the fate of in advance the warning that the lack of an advanced education will fate a person to a lifetime of below-average earnings

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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 fates
Noun
The team's research clarifies how the environments around infant stars directly affect planetary fates and, in turn, the survival of extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that are potentially capable of hosting life. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The fates of Jane Doe and Nolan Wells leave us longing for the Golden Rule, writes columnist LZ Granderson. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Through a particular sequence of such branching decisions, Waddington argued, cells specialize into their mature types, or fates, each expressing a particular set of genes. — Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 The Kunstmuseum Basel will receive $120,000 to examine 336 drawings in its collection with provenances previously flagged as problematic, as well as the fates of the drawings’ sellers and the museum’s collection strategies between 1933 and 1945. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 From what we’ve been told, the duo were blindsided and upset to learn about their fates from Thursday night’s reports without ever receiving a phone call from Skydance co-CEO David Ellison. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 As the extraterrestrials prepare their arrival, down on the surface several strangers find their fates linked. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 On a political level, Shelley’s monster pandemic served as a warning of what horrifying fates might await the whole of humanity if conflict and irresponsibility were left unchecked worldwide. — Eileen Hunt, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 Since the 1979 Revolution, all who have held the role have faced dark fates, from impeachment and political isolation to travel bans and house arrest. — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
The expansion of the category and Nolan’s increased Oscar success since Dunkirk have changed his films’ Oscar fates. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fates
  1. destinies
  2. outcomes
  3. deaths
  4. dooms
  5. consequences
  6. demises
  7. results
  8. passings
Noun
  • Noir, by contrast, brooks no such substitutions, because its conception of authenticity cannot allow for alternative destinies.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • People looking out for themselves have compromised the fates of those who have less control over their destinies.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of destinies
Noun
  • Patient advocates and clinicians say the recent advancements in treatment could mark the beginning of a new era in sickle cell care, one that may free thousands from recurrent episodes of debilitating pain and improve long-term health outcomes.
    — Steven Ross Johnson, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the best wellness outcomes come with a cost to short-term revenue.
    — Anand Solanki, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of outcomes
Noun
  • Janabi said one of the biggest challenges has been persuading those who are infected to seek medical assistance, adding that some deaths occur in the community outside of health centers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In Minnesota, none of the federal agents involved in the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been criminally charged, but a string of civil lawsuits is beginning to emerge.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of deaths
Verb
  • Despite some promise across its eight episodes, the Prime original series builds to a deflating conclusion that dooms the entire project.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Fans continue to ask Carney about Hadestown’s climactic moment, when Orpheus dooms Eurydice forever by turning to look at her on the road back from hell.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of dooms
Noun
  • The consequences of these choices for American industry, workers, and labor market will be much larger than the – also important – pathways for entry level college graduates.
    — Byron Auguste, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Inclusion on the list could also presage a Section 301 investigation that could lead to legal consequences or restrictive import controls on the devices.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of consequences
Noun
  • SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company Musk founded in 2002, has endured a few more fiery demises of the mammoth Starship rocket since that explosive debut.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 2026
  • No reason was provided for the shops’ demises.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Nov. 2025
Definition of demises
Noun
  • Once a company selects a preferred motor approach, researchers can transition the results into Motor AI to generate detailed design configurations and engineering specifications.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In 2025, Toho posted its best-ever results at the Japanese box office.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of results
Noun
  • The songs above fall into three categories, as their runs reached such lengths due to artists’ passings; a record-setting movie; or multiple holidays.
    — Gary Trust, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026
  • What stood out most, however, was just how emotional the event was, particularly considering the many recent passings of some of our most beloved film and TV luminaries.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of passings

Browse Nearby Words

fateful
fates
fathead
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Cite this Entry

“Fates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fates. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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