mate 1 of 2

noun

Definition of matenext
1
as in half
either of a pair matched in one or more qualities have you seen the mate to this glove anywhere?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in associate
a person frequently seen in the company of another that lout and his mates are known troublemakers in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in assistant
chiefly British a person who helps a more skilled person a plumber and his mate showed up to fix the sink in our London hotel room

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in partner
the person to whom another is married they vowed to each other that they would remain mates for life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in friend
chiefly British a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another spent the weekend in London with some of his mates from Oxford

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mate

2 of 2

verb

as in to sleep
to engage in sexual intercourse cats conceive almost every time they mate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 mate
Noun
The two wallabies are mates, and Wally is very devoted to Bindi, said Borozenets. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Experts say unseasonably warm weather patterns at the beginning of the year have driven rattlesnakes out of their winter retreats ahead of rattlesnake season in search of food and mates. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
The handcrafted mill is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission and makes 621 hp and 664 ft lbs of torque. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026 So the magnolia is a generalist, and the orchids are very, very specialized, sometimes in cooperative ways with their pollinators, and sometimes in sneaky exploitative ways, like pretending to be a female wasp so male wasps try and mate with you. — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mate
  1. half
  2. associate
  3. assistant
  4. partner
  5. friend
  6. sleep
  7. match
  8. buddy
Noun
  • Momentum continued into the first half of 2026, with a double-digit rise in sales, the company said.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After taking a healthy, 6-inch cutting, remove any flower spikes and the leaves on the lower half of the stem.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of half
Noun
  • State health authorities who have been fighting the opioid crisis for decades are still surprised by the drop, said Evan Gumas, a senior research associate at the Commonwealth Fund.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Well, this elevated me in Wendell’s eyes from solicitous writer/actor/film associate to a person who works with his/her hands to craft furniture and other heroic implements from wood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of associate
Noun
  • This one was especially meaningful for 2010 Morton graduate Jimmy McCormack, an experienced assistant, including the previous two seasons as the Trojans’ offensive coordinator.
    — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • O’Leary has helped himself by adding lots of experienced assistant coaches and former head coaches.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of assistant
Noun
  • Along with performances from Chappell Roan, Doechii and more, the festival provided a space where attendees could connect directly with the festival’s nonprofit partners and hear more about the issues and communities at the center of their work.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • FanDuel is the exclusive sports betting partner of The Ringer.
    — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of partner
Noun
  • Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley estended her condolences to victim’s friends and family.
    — Elgin Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • More messages arrived over Discord, X, WhatsApp, and even from a colleague who had been asked by a friend to see whether Fabian would correct his story to say that the explosion had been caused by interceptor fragments.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of friend
Verb
  • The hospital basically told me to get over it and sleep it off but the pain was traumatic physically and mentally.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This is a common myth, borne of the fact that horses can sleep standing up.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sleep
Noun
  • Player of the Week Senior outside hitter Quinn Grevengoed tallies 92 kills and 15 aces in seven matches and then is named MVP for host Chicago Christian as Knights take tournament title for first time since 2014.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For Katwala, the most impressive elements from the Games were the robots playing tennis, seeming to react to the movement of the ball and, in a match featuring robots playing alongside humans in doubles, of their partner, too.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of match
Noun
  • Then again, being that Vought has been pushing his buddy POTUS to back a federal incentive since May 2025 to little success until today, let’s see what the follow through here really is before anyone starts planning the parade.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The committee would eventually disband without an answer, despite the fact that Selig had helped engineer the sale of the team in 2005 to Lew Wolff, an old University of Wisconsin frat buddy, and John Fisher.
    — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of buddy

Phrases Containing mate

Browse Nearby Words

matchups
mate
mated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on mate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All