MEASURES Synonyms: 220 Similar and Opposite Words

measures 1 of 2

noun

plural of measure

as in means

an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result such new security measures as metal detectors at all the entrances

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Relevance

as in amounts

a given or particular mass or aggregate of matter each day prisoners were given only a small measure of rice to live on

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as in standards

something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared during the Renaissance, man came to be viewed as the measure of all things

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rhythms

the recurrent pattern formed by a series of sounds having a regular rise and fall in intensity the song's soft, soothing measures make it a good lullaby

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as in dimensions

the total amount of measurable space or surface occupied by something a slipcover for the couch that was made to measure

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measures

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of measure

as in gauges

to find out the size, extent, or amount of for this experiment, you need to carefully measure all the chemicals before you mix them together

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as in controls

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) he carefully measured his response to the provocative question

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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 measures

Noun

Soaring temperatures are forcing drastic measures in Europe, where successive heatwaves are straining an economy already under pressure from US tariffs, Chinese competition and higher energy prices because of the Iran war. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 New Jersey and Illinois are among the states that have enacted statewide regulations recently, and Massachusetts is weighing measures. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 While the company implemented the measures, the number of complaints grew to more than 4,200 as the odors persisted. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 The Legislature’s two appropriation committees do not hold public votes before advancing or holding back measures on their desk. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026 If this continues, whether as a coordinated effort or a thicket of unilateral measures, the effect on China could be a sudden and sustained shortfall in external demand. — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 Organizations should partner with a full-spectrum risk management provider to deploy safety measures that double as business drivers, says Zernicke. — Sentry Insurance, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Following statewide legislation passed in 2025, Georgia’s public schools receive roughly $68,000 per school in state grants to spend on security measures, such as cameras, officers, crisis-response training or mental health support. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 31 July 2026

Verb

The most closely watched will be the consumer price index, or CPI, which measures costs for consumers. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 The home's glass door entrance opens up into an attractive Scandinavian-style wooden interior that measures 28 sq m (301 sq ft) on a single floor and is mostly arranged into one multipurpose room. — New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026 The spread between interest rates on risky bonds and the interest rate on treasury bonds measures the market’s appetite for risk. — Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The platform also measures traffic referred by AI systems, including the chatbots sending visits and the landing pages receiving them. — Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 Unlike cameras, lidar actively measures distance, allowing vehicles to build a detailed depth map of the road ahead. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026 Each measures 500 square feet, with its walls, ceilings, and timber beams made from pine trees felled on site. — Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 Absorption is an industry metric that measures whether a real estate sector is growing or shrinking. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 Shaw weighs and measures Tunsil’s food so his team can track his nutrition, even at the cellular level. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for measures

Noun

Communism is a political and economic system in which property, means of production and natural resources are collectively owned by the community or state, rather than private individuals, and divided either equally or according to need.

— Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Throughout the night, Allie and Owen’s paths continue to cross in the hotbed of lust sweeping across the Big Apple, leading each to wonder if they are truly meant for each other or just there to exist as the means for a desperate encounter.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of means

Noun

Although umbrella insurance is far from perfect ― for instance, intentional acts are generally excluded ― umbrella insurance can provide much larger coverage amounts for things already covered by other policies with lower limits.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
City officials say personal storage facilities can require large amounts of land that could otherwise be used for housing, retail or other developments.

— James Taylor, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of amounts

Noun

Ben Green’s thumping bass leads to huffy breathing, which leads to bone-snapping drum machine rhythms and an ectoplasmic elastic guitar riff.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
Previous studies have examined individual relationships, such as the effects of lighting on sleep and circadian rhythms or the influence of layout on privacy and social interaction.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of rhythms

Noun

What's most important is that there are undeniable strong steps and franchise mode is finally in a strong place.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
But sometimes, the editing steps outside that space – for instance, showing us all the players dancing, but omitting the music they’re being fed via earwig.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026