rent 1 of 2

1
as in tear
a long deep cut getting her skirt caught on a nail resulted in a four-inch rent that she couldn't possibly repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2

rent

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lease
to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment we rented the apartment to a college student for $500 a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum will need to rent a car while we're in Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of rent are charter, hire, lease, and let. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

Where would charter be a reasonable alternative to rent?

The words charter and rent can be used in similar contexts, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of rent?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When would lease be a good substitute for rent?

The meanings of lease and rent largely overlap; however, lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

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 rent
Noun
Inflation is a generalized rise in prices, affecting different goods and services throughout the economy, such as gas, rent and food. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 And when their family needed help scraping together enough money for their second month of rent, the Johnstons hosted a weekend garage sale at their Denver home. Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Braun is taking calls and video conferences from his office, temporarily rented out for campaign purposes, at Meyer Distributing in Jasper. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024 Every year, a group of my friends and our kids rent an Airbnb for a weekend in November or December. Emma Way, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rent 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
Noun
  • By this point, the network of support that had sustained IRA operations in West Belfast was beginning to show signs of tear.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Fighting back tears, Johnston implored the community not to blame the newcomers for the budget cuts.
    Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • But that still leaves a $450,000 gap to meet the deadline.
    Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The unconformity, or ‘time gap,’ demonstrates that years of history are missing.
    Liam Courtney-Davies, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Quaint Oak Bancorp entered into an agreement to sell and lease back its property in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Complex leases potentially a factor There’s also another possibility.
    Jesse Silvertown, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Her family moved from Guam and stayed in Austin due to the higher education opportunities, and she was hired on the spot after interviewing for a position at the registrar's office when her daughter, then a student at Huston-Tillotson, told her to apply.
    Lily Kepner, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
  • The company now is hiring dancers right out of their academies and with experience dancing on pointe.
    Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Alana Springsteen Country singer Alana Springsteen embraced shimmer with a sequined gown featuring a thigh-high slit.
    Ty Gaskins, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Using a sharp paring knife, a smallish slit is cut into each breast, about 1 1/2-inches deep.
    Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The company completed 18 drill holes at MacArthur and four core drill holes at Yerington.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • At the bottom was a chain-link fence with an enormous hole.
    Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Even Bobby Portis is keeping his eyes up, passing up his usual mid-range looks in favor of hitting cutters like Taurean Prince on backdoor slashes.
    Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
  • For thousands of years mothers have been devastatingly waking their tiny babies, trying to levitate them out of their car seats and into their strollers until some genius finally invented the Doona: a car seat slash stroller in one.
    Hayley Bloomingdale, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • The first 100 customers at the South Lamar opening will get free churros and chocolate.
    Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • The mobile billboard wheeled into Indianapolis this week to mark the opening of the first L.L. Bean store in the state.
    Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near rent

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on rent

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!