resemble

verb

re·​sem·​ble ri-ˈzem-bəl How to pronounce resemble (audio)
resembled; resembling ri-ˈzem-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce resemble (audio)
Synonyms of resemble

transitive verb

1
: to be like or similar to
he resembles his father
2
archaic : to represent as like

Examples of resemble in a Sentence

He strongly resembles his father in appearance and in temperament. Terrier dogs closely resemble each other.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Against a backdrop resembling a party convention, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico delivered what his campaign called a major policy speech. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 The Shards men, too, are Murphy types, with Rigney resembling Evan Peters and Gere frequently evoking Ashton Kutcher. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 In late July, Burke was photographed at an influencer’s birthday party with a girl resembling Rivas Hernandez. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 Each characters is a far, far cry from anything that event resembles virtuous. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for resemble

Word History

Etymology

Middle English resemblen, rasemblen "to be like, compare," borrowed from Anglo-French resembler, rasembler "to be like, appear to be, compare (to)" (also continental Old French), from re- re- + sembler "to look like, seem to be" — more at semblance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of resemble was in the 14th century

Rhymes for resemble

See All Rhymes for resemble

Browse Nearby Words

resemblant
resemble
resembler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Resemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resemble. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

resemble

verb
re·​sem·​ble ri-ˈzem-bəl How to pronounce resemble (audio)
resembled; resembling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce resemble (audio)
: to be like or similar to
he resembles his father

More from Merriam-Webster on resemble

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for resemble

Nglish: Translation of resemble for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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