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?

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as in associates

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

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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

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as in partners

the person to whom another is married they vowed to each other that they would remain mates for life

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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

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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

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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 mates

Noun

During the season, female tarantulas remain underground and begin emitting strong pheromones to attract males, who leave their burrows in hopes of finding mates, per the University of California. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 After the final whistle, as his team-mates went to applaud supporters, Alvarez took the club hierarchy’s advice not to join them. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Trust your board, adapt to your league mates and don’t be afraid to take the swings that can win you the league. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026 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

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

New research into the interior of Mars further emphasizes that the Red Planet is a world of two very different halves.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
The streamer later stepped in and ordered a fourth and final season, which played out in two 10-episode halves in 2022 and 2023.

— Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of halves

Noun

Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
John Giusti, a chiropractor with an independent practice outside Dallas and Forth Worth, was found dead on Monday, friends and business associates said on social media.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of associates

Noun

Other jobs on this list include occupations that are largely administrative and deal with handling data or customer service, such as office clerks, secretaries, administrative assistants, customer service reps and tellers.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Hammock and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald had worked together as assistants with the Baltimore Ravens.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of assistants

Noun

Philanthropy takes center stage Organizers vowed to work with nonprofit partners to put the grants toward their most urgent and underresourced needs.

— James Pollard, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
People who work with the investor credit his business acumen, low-key demeanor and daunting work ethic, qualities that have attracted partners, founders and mentors alike — including Iger.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of partners

Noun

In the weeks since her son died during a Fourth of July boating trip with friends, Christine Wells-Wonsley and her husband, Elmore, have become a fixture at the civil rights attorney’s side.

— Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Afterward, a few friends made the half-mile trek east to the Mabee Center on the edge of campus.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of friends

Verb

The all-new Octola II Ultra Lodge sleeps 17 with both the exact price and location kept hush-hush, and all the mind-boggling logistics taken care of by Octola.

— Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2026
The newest Harvard Business School professor never sleeps, can hear the same pitch 50 times and technically isn’t an instructor at all.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of sleeps

Noun

Then there's the emergence of artificial intelligence chatbots and companions that create a host of other concerns for underage usage, but that aren't generally considered part of the social media industry.

— Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
The company describes these products as interactive companions that go beyond conventional robots, with features designed to sense their surroundings and initiate simple forms of engagement.

— Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of companions

Noun

Brand fans have spotted the pieces on everyone from colleagues to Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift, and Dorsey is now an eight-figure business, according to the company.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
In 2023, Tinsley and colleagues at Texas Tech published another study examining EHP Labs’ ready-to-drink thermogenic beverage, OxyShred Ultra Energy.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of colleagues

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maters

mates

matey

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Style

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

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Synonyms of mates

noun

verb

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