engage

verb

in-ˈgāj How to pronounce engage (audio)
Definition of engagenext
1
as in to interest
to hold the attention of the challenging jigsaw puzzle engaged us all evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to face
to enter into contest or conflict with the daring young captain was eager to engage the enemy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to commit
to obligate by prior agreement we can't go to the dance because we're already engaged to attend a piano recital

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to employ
to provide with a paying job the wealthy couple are looking to engage a handyman to take care of the estate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum my sister and her boyfriend have engaged a chauffeured limousine for the prom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 engage After six years of dating, they got engaged on Christmas Eve 2025. — Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026 Buckler can engage those drones at supersonic speeds and has already undergone flight testing, according to X-Bow. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 But if Bonta and the attorneys general don’t engage, where will Ellison relocate? — Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 This is the labor market that organizations now have to navigate and most of them are doing it with a workforce that is less than engaged. — Susan Lamotte, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for engage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engage
  1. interest
  2. face
  3. commit
  4. employ
  5. hire
  6. occupy
  7. meet
  8. recruit
Verb
  • As Houthi threats to the Bab el Mandeb Strait increase, so, too, may interest in developing pipeline capacity through the Red Sea.
    — Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Short trips and conversations with daily contacts, siblings and relatives will interest you.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of interest
Verb
  • Fuller is nearly six months into the new position, created as Texas faces growing scrutiny over how school districts handle allegations involving teachers, coaches, and other school employees.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Geopolitical tensions are bringing critical dependencies and chokepoints into sharper focus, while Europe faces growing security threats on its doorstep.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of face
Verb
  • For developers, the benefit is the ability to compare infrastructure tradeoffs before committing to construction.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the verdict a year later, however, citing errors by the judge and concluding that the prosecution never proved a murder had even been committed.
    — Dan Kelly August 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of commit
Verb
  • Even if a job listing is not a scam, a company may post a role while planning to hire internally or recruiting someone already employed elsewhere.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Nearly a decade later, the populist movement has become strong, emboldened to employ an increasingly aggressive narrative towards the immigrant community in the region, especially Muslims.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of employ
Verb
  • Investigating technical allegations about the rail project requires hiring outside experts — and without AB 1608, Belnap says his office can't do that on its own.
    — Julie Watts, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Valentine Nguele, Cameroon’s first female head coach, was hired just six weeks before the tournament.
    — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hire
Verb
  • Zelenskyy said Russia had occupied about 990 square kilometers since the start of the year, while Ukraine had restored control over roughly 820 square kilometers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the aging bachelor lived as something of a recluse in the Independence mansion occupied by multiple other relatives and in-laws.
    — Dan Kelly August 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of occupy
Verb
  • Where sacred meets celestial Science meets religion in the Vatican Observatory, a centuries-old center of astronomical research.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Paramount Skydance representatives are expected to meet on Monday with the California Attorney General’s office to discuss a potential settlement of the states’ antitrust case, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of meet
Verb
  • The boyfriend of an 18-year-old college soccer player in Washington County, Pennsylvania, is accused of fatally stabbing her, putting her body in the hatch of her vehicle and recruiting his mother for help disposing of the body, authorities said.
    — Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • How Gates applied the course to her advantage Gates turned to the network of students to recruit employees for her then-budding startup, Phia, according to the Stanford Daily.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of recruit

Phrases Containing engage

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enfranchising
engage
engaged
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Cite this Entry

“Engage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engage. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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