whiles

noun

Definition of whilesnext
plural of while
1
as in minutes
an indefinite but usually short period of time we stayed at the fair for a while longer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in works
the active use of energy in producing a result it's not worth my while to fix it, so we'll get a new one

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 whiles UCHealth’s decision to postpone surgeries whiles staff addressed the sterilization problem stands out from other hospitals that have found themselves in similar situations. — Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiles
  1. minutes
  2. works
  3. bits
  4. efforts
  5. days
  6. pains
  7. moments
  8. exertions
Noun
  • Slemmer was beaten and cut with a meat cleaver and a box cutter for somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to Rubin, online criticisms against the store emerged 15 minutes after Clarkson left the store.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of minutes
Noun
  • Keynesianism gets a brain freeze John Maynard Keynes is basically the father of macroeconomics, the study of how the entire economy works, including what the government can do to fight recessions, boost employment, and control inflation.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Several works confront the digital systems shaping contemporary life, subverting algorithms and finding room for human error and agency.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of works
Noun
  • O’Rourke and double bassist Johan Berthling shape a steady drone, while Ishibashi’s piano runs suggest time-lapse footage of ice crystals forming, ordinary little bits cohering into objects of wonder.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Cryptographers responded by lengthening the keys, and 2,048 bits is now considered the minimum.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bits
Noun
  • The force, which rose to a peak of about 5,000 troops over the summer, has supported arrest operations, patrolled city streets and neighborhoods, and participated in cleanup efforts.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The coffee shop is going to be the training ground for the organization’s new Latte Life Academy, which will be part of the nonprofit’s workforce training efforts.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of efforts
Noun
  • There is a possibility of being stranded on Hatteras Island for multiple days.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Trump personally signed the legislation just last month and his move came just two days before a deadline set in the law itself for its implementation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of days
Noun
  • In the past, Fox News has taken pains to illustrate to its viewers how the election could tilt blue.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Symptoms usually begin within two weeks and can last nearly three weeks, including aches and pains, nausea and rashes.
    — Angie DiMichele, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of pains
Noun
  • These are but moments in an auteur’s widescreen epic that never sits still.
    — Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Canada banged awkwardly into Williams’ knee on a box out during her late free throws and the Valkyries’ star was being cared for by an athletic trainer on the bench in the waning moments.
    — Janie McCauley, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of moments
Noun
  • Lula very pointedly locates the threat differently, emphasizing the ability to resist a foreign power’s undue exertions of leverage.
    — Andre Pagliarini, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Ayuso possibly lacks the top-end explosivity, while surely Mas’ legs are not in race-winning shape given his exertions over the past month — but the Mallorcan is in the form of his career.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of exertions

Browse Nearby Words

while
whiles
whilom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiles. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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