MATES Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

mates 1 of 2

noun

plural of mate

as in halves

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

as in associates

a person frequently seen in the company of another that lout and his mates are known troublemakers in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in assistants

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

as in partners

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

as in friends

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

mates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mate

as in sleeps

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 mates

Noun

Savio The Brazilian is still finding his feet but already feels like an important player, offering pace, directness and a willingness to take on his man — qualities lacking in many of his team-mates. — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Fall is already an active season for many spiders, when adults become more visible, and some species search for mates. — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2026 Once confined to the Southeast, lone star ticks spread from Maine to Oklahoma in recent years as the climate warmed and as a decline in hunting led to an explosive growth in the number of whitetail deer, where lone stars find mates and breed. — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026 During the mating season, males gather in choruses and call to attract mates. — Claire Therese Hemingway, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 The bears, which are normally solitary creatures, can be picky when choosing mates, and females are only in heat for one to three days each year. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Verb

In addition to that, the company’s next car, the Tourbillon, will be its first to feature the company’s new hybrid powertrain, which mates a three-foot-long, naturally aspirated V-16 with a trio of electric motors. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 17 July 2026 His rotation mates Jameson Taillon (20) and Shota Imanaga (17) have given up the most in the majors. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 The centre-forward is increasingly aware of these situations, positioning himself correctly or attacking the right space to offer his team-mates an option when City are attacking the wide areas. — Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mates

Noun

Instead of a typical intermission between the game’s two halves, the performance was an event of its own.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
To surmount the issue, Apple routed a flexible graphite pipe through the hinge itself to transfer heat between the two halves, thereby increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation.

— Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of halves

Noun

In 2015, The Washington Post profiled teaching associates at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, including a theater actor who helped medical students learn pelvic examinations.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The office declared that the doctrine covers not only official advisers, but can also expand to cover outside associates consulted by the president in certain circumstances.

— Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of associates

Noun

That content becomes useful proof for shoppers and a clearer authority signal for AI assistants than another polished brand promo.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Those services usually cover assistants who help people with daily tasks such as bathing, laundry or cooking.

— Ana Ceballos Follow, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of assistants

Noun

The papers are said to have contained highly sensitive information, some likely supplied by Germany’s intelligence partners – so the affair could have serious international ramifications at a time when Europe is facing grave security threats.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
This week, Ukraine also did not receive advanced warning from partners of incoming ballistic missiles, resulting in civilian deaths, according to Ukrainian officials.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of partners

Noun

The Philly shoegaze band calls on friends from across genres for a wide-spanning compilation that’s equal parts label sampler, B-sides showcase, and assembly of rising stars.

— Abby Jones, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
Those who show up in tough times are rewarded, while fair-weather friends are often excluded from lucrative deals.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of friends

Verb

In the city that never sleeps, Halloween, which falls on a Saturday this year, is the official start for all the holiday fun to come.

— Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
One of more than a dozen holiday cabins and cottages on the property, the dog-friendly Efford House sleeps 13 in its seven bedrooms.

— Nicholas DeRenzo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sleeps

Noun

In the meantime, the strangers who are slipping into her home through the box have become her part-time companions, starting with Jason and Amanda and continuing with others like Leighton and Blair.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
The film is rife with theories as to why, in a city where bars have names like Ho Bots, people want artificial companions, and Klara’s immediate circle of friends are open to all options.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of companions

Noun

New Skydance content sales chief David Decker was all smiles at the WBD stand, able to look over and see his new Paramount colleagues just along the beachfront.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Eventually, Chili invites Lee over to his house, far away from the ears of his former colleagues shooting pool at Secrets.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of colleagues

Browse Nearby Words

maters

mates

matey

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mates. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mates

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes