sit

verb

ˈsit How to pronounce sit (audio)
Definition of sitnext
1
as in to set
to rest on the buttocks or haunches everybody needs to sit down because it's time for class

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to seat
to cause to sit down the host had to sit some of the guests on the porch

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lay
to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop we didn't want to disturb the hens, as they were sitting

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to stand
to occupy a place or location the monument that sits at the entrance to the battlefield

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 sit The research offers a new look at how simply sitting less and moving more may affect cancer risk. — Gretchen Reynolds, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026 Between the two, a dining area sits against a backdrop of sweeping views of the mountain range, while the rear patio extends the entertaining space outdoors with its own kitchen. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026 Eskom, now sitting with surplus energy, has set its sights on data centers as a new source of customers. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The new Qatari-gifted jet sat a few hundred yards down the tarmac. — Isabella Murray, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sit
  1. set
  2. seat
  3. lay
  4. stand
  5. squat
  6. put
  7. spawn
  8. be
Verb
  • That score held until two outs in the ninth, when Smith delivered the game-tying single that set the Giants’ latest loss in motion.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The data points for July will also help set the economic backdrop ahead of the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium at the end of August, where traders will search for hints on the trajectory of rates.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of set
Verb
  • The custom floating hot tub can seat up to six people and moves at a cool 3 miles per hour through the calm waters north of Logan Airport.
    — Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On the oldest hotel corner in America, La Fonda on the Plaza offers easy access to the capital city's breathtaking natural features, and is home to Bell Tower Rooftop Bar, seated high above the city with sweeping mountain views.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of seat
Verb
  • Elkins had announced the retirement before fight week, calling it his last dance, and laid his gloves in the center of the octagon afterward.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Daemon brings troops and his dragon Caraxes, but holds out on laying siege for as long as possible, especially as Ormund has stationed children on the battlements and in front of the gates to the city.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of lay
Verb
  • Villa’s recent warm-up defeat to Bayern Munich, though a 2-1 loss, will have offered a useful gauge of what facing elite opposition demands and should stand them in good stead for the level of intensity this game in Salzburg will require.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of stand
Verb
  • Working in strength coach Rusty Whitt’s demanding program, the 6-foot, 196-pound Jones also squatted and deadlifted 500 pounds.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
  • He is listed at 6-foot-3 and can already squat 500 pounds as a 15-year-old.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 28 July 2026
Definition of squat
Verb
  • Willy Adames and Rafael Devers singled to start the fourth against Melton, putting runners at the corners.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As one University of Helsinki scholar of Chinese political economy put it, stablecoins can circulate beyond regulatory oversight, interfere with capital account management and complicate the central bank's control over settlement.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of put
Verb
  • The film’s success spawned several sequels, including Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • For three decades, rap legend and cultural icon Tupac Shakur’s killing has remained one of America’s great unsolved mysteries, spawning countless books, documentaries and long-form investigative journalism pieces.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of spawn
Verb
  • Not to say there isn’t any darkness, and there is obviously violence and action.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • There is nothing to do with a warning about foreign adversaries except go quiet, which is the point of making it.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of be

Phrases Containing sit

Browse Nearby Words

sisters
sit
sit-down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sit. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sit

Nglish: Translation of sit for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All