Definition of trainnext
1
as in entourage
a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a movie star who never goes anywhere without a train of personal assistants to cater to his every whim and need

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2
as in fleet
a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a train of supply trucks making its way to the army encampment

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3
as in queue
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another already a long train of ticket buyers waiting outside the stadium

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4

train

2 of 2

verb

1
2
3
as in to focus
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective train all your thoughts on imagining how you'd score the winning goal in the game

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4
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal trained his eyes on the distant bull's-eye

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
as in to equip
to make competent (as by training, skill, or ability) for a particular office or function he's so experienced that they usually use him to train new recruits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word train different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of train are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and teach. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than train?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When could educate be used to replace train?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When is it sensible to use instruct instead of train?

The synonyms instruct and train are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to train?

While in some cases nearly identical to train, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When might teach be a better fit than train?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

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 train
Noun
Admire the changing season on a scenic train ride, hay ride, horseback ride, or paddle, or add thrills aboard a mountain coaster or via railbike or zip line. Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 On a nearby section of the coast, crews have been placing rock to shore up a crumbling coastline and keep nearby trains running. Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
And deployed throughout are AI-powered cameras and sensors, trained to catch mistakes. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Kola Jean, the agricultural engineer at Compaoré's farm who helps to train others on pineapple farming, estimated that over 100 farmers are now getting into production. ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for train
Recent Examples of Synonyms for train
Noun
  • Davis described the shooting as an act of retaliation after Knight and Shakur’s entourage beat up Davis’ nephew hours before the shooting.
    Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • At eleven-thirty, the rig rolled slowly off the lot and began its stately procession onto Santa Monica Boulevard, surrounded by an entourage of patrol cars.
    Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • After all, a fleet of TB2s would likely be much cheaper and easier for Damascus to operate than modern fighter jets.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • That fleet now includes a new 300-megapixel infrared space observatory that bears her name.
    Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The identity of the second institution to receive a notice will say whether the queue keeps running through replaceable nodes or reaches for something harder to substitute.
    Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Over the opening weekend of the Premier League season, versions of this conversation are ubiquitous across the country — in pubs, queues at burger vans, stadiums, online, at home.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Imagine a workflow where directing a cinematic sequence is as intuitive as having a fluid conversation, allowing an independent creator to iterate, test angles and refine narratives in real time.
    Coco Mao, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • According to researchers, the control architecture is organized as a sequence of states, including takeoff, searching, touch detection, approach, positioning, rotation, finalization, perching, and abort.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The e-commerce giant is preparing to launch its Prime Air service in Tracy as part of a broader expansion effort that will bring delivery drones to 500 cities and towns by the end of the year.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Many of the dozens missing in its environs were foreign nationals, chiefly Indian or Indian-origin pilgrims who were returning from, or preparing to make, the journey further into Tibet to Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists.
    Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Winner had a choice Johnson lives in Goldston and has taught middle school for about 20 years.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The couple's home is near the former San Francisco Art Institute, where prominent sculptor Ralph Stackpole taught for decades — leading Gittelsohn to believe the piece may have a connection to him or one of his students.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The latest court decisions, however, have focused on whether Shirilla's postconviction petition was filed on time rather than the merits of those arguments.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • It's all captured in the new documentary Handmade Future, directed by Kirsten Dickerson, the cofounder of Artist & Nomad, a social-impact business focused on craft.
    Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Beijing aims to transform the region into a high-altitude green energy powerhouse, with projects that include a $168 billion megadam, currently under construction, that could stretch the limits of what human engineering has achieved.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This shift aims to secure more predictable, recurring revenue and higher user retention, mitigating the volatility of hardware sales.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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