RECRUIT Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

recruit 1 of 2

verb

ri-ˈkrüt

Definition of recruit

as in to hire

to provide with a paying job thousands of recent immigrants were recruited to build the nation's rail system

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

recruit

2 of 2

noun

as in apprentice

a person who is just starting out in a field of activity the skydiving instructor and other experienced jumpers tried to encourage the new recruits on their first jump

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 recruit

Verb

The court allowed schools to recruit/enroll him while the case continued. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026 Married biologists James Letts and Maria Maldonado were recruited to Australia’s Monash University and left behind their posts at the University of California, Davis. — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026

Noun

Apple claims some recruits received guidance about presenting information from their previous jobs during interviews. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026 Compared to some of the more outrageous deals his seniors offered their clients, his job, as an entry-level recruit, was low-key. — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recruit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for recruit

Verb

And as the most recent press secretary found out, you can be fired from the position just as quickly as you were hired.

— Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
The Cowboys brought Mike Pettine out of retirement, hiring him as a senior defensive assistant to help out Christian Parker, the team’s defensive coordinator, get this group back on track.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of hire

Noun

Founding and patenting gabardine Thomas Burberry, a cloth merchant’s apprentice, established his own shop in 1856 in Basingstoke, England, then a rural town located southwest of London.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
For carpenters, delays and poor weather conditions can disrupt the working hours apprentices need to complete their program, causing some to quit.

— Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of apprentice

Verb

The beats create ample negative space for Holden to employ riskier flows, often deploying a double-time pace to burn through technically dense passages.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Plus, data centers aren’t acting with haste or employing new innovations.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of employ

Noun

To capture some of that essence, Guitar Center is trying to make its stores a place to hang out for novices and pros alike.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
In the latest, The Big Cats Dance Party, a high-profile case falls to a novice sleuth while the agency’s founder is away.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of novice

Noun

Meghan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior who has been on the team since her freshman year, has had Huettl style her hair for every game for the past three years.

— Audrey Noble, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
The freshman, who came to USC in the spring out of Santa Margarita High, rejoined the Trojans ahead of the Penn State game while the team faced a variety of injuries to other key players on both sides of the ball.

— Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of freshman

Noun

About 95% of early voters also cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election, a reminder that the first wave is dominated by more regular voters and not newcomers.

— Charles Minshew, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Still, California’s appeal to some newcomers hasn’t translated into stronger overall migration numbers.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of newcomer

Noun

Armstrong, appearing in his first NFL game as a rookie out of Cincinnati, hauled in a catch with an athletic play over the middle for 13 yards and a first down.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026
That’s why Sieler also implored the rookies to not totally check out.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of rookie

Browse Nearby Words

recrudescing

recruit

recruited

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Style

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

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Synonyms of recruit

verb

noun

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