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as in to celebrate
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony a time when few people in New England observed Christmas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word observe different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of observe are celebrate, commemorate, and keep. While all these words mean "to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed," observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.

not all holidays are observed nationally

When is celebrate a more appropriate choice than observe?

The meanings of celebrate and observe largely overlap; however, celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.

traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner

When is it sensible to use commemorate instead of observe?

Although the words commemorate and observe have much in common, commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.

commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

When could keep be used to replace observe?

While the synonyms keep and observe are close in meaning, keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.

kept the Sabbath by refraining from work

Examples 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 observe A number of volunteers with Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, or the Human Rights League, a French organization that aims to observe and defend human rights, were stationed outside the stadium to observe police forces’ handling of the event. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 Some groups also observed that the residents were getting a superior reward by using their methods. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024 Those findings, published this week in Biology Letters, suggest vampire bats may have evolved to develop a unique metabolism typically observed in blood-sucking insects. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024 Her dear mother, who was a teacher, observed that children believed that when ladies grew old, their hair turned honey blond. Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for observe 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observe
Verb
  • The author promptly obeyed and took it down, employees say.
    Paresh Dave, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Pence did an important thing, obeying the Constitution rather than Trump.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Since then, candidates have forged a tradition of publicly acknowledging defeat and celebrating democracy in radio addresses, a recorded newsreel or on live television.
    Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Colnago, the Italian manufacturer of high-end road and racing bikes, is celebrating its 70th anniversary by creating an exclusive steel bike accompanied by a limited-edition leisurewear capsule.
    Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Loading your audio article Of all the overseas leaders avidly watching the U.S. election results, the two happiest were probably Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
    Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Suspecting that the bear in question was in fact not a bear at all, detectives asked a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist to watch the videos and weigh in.
    Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Many of the stories in the opera are reflected their own stories and those of others in their families.
    Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Paradoxically, this commitment to world peace and universalism reflects IBM’s identity as a distinctly American brand.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In curating the luxury e-retailer’s fragrance selection for the end of 2024, she’s noticed many of the brands the company stocks are continuing to play with gourmand scents.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 23 Nov. 2024
  • The literalists among you will have noticed that while the presidency is carefully defined by the Constitution, and the legislature’s prerogatives and responsibilities are set out there with some precision, the administrative state goes unmentioned.
    Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In terms of color, Stiles doesn’t follow any hard and fast rules for mature clients.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2024
  • The film follows two part-tribal sisters trained as servants by an English madame on a Himalayan colonial estate.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • It’s finally slated to open in 2026 to commemorate the nearly 50,000 Greek Jews who were loaded onto cattle trucks in Thessaloniki and transported to Auschwitz during the Nazi occupation of Greece.
    George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • While the reason behind the celebrations may be different, to commemorate the festival, Sikhs will also go to the Gurdwara to pray and meditate, light diyas and set off fireworks.
    Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Alexis couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone was watching her, looking at her, eyeing her as the only person in the room when Onyxx died of some unknown cause.
    Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2024
  • King and Rocha are eyeing to replace Michael Barbanica, who is running for county supervisor.
    Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near observe

Cite this Entry

“Observe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observe. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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