1
as in halves
either of a pair matched in one or more qualities have you seen the mate to this glove anywhere?
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2
as in associates
a person frequently seen in the company of another that lout and his mates are known troublemakers in the neighborhood
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3
as in assistants
chiefly British a person who helps a more skilled person a plumber and his mate showed up to fix the sink in our London hotel room
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4
as in partners
the person to whom another is married they vowed to each other that they would remain mates for life
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5
as in friends
chiefly British a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another spent the weekend in London with some of his mates from Oxford
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as in sleeps
to engage in sexual intercourse cats conceive almost every time they mate
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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 mates
Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side. —thehustle.co, 17 Apr. 2026 My mates and bandmates are all chosen accordingly. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026 The matchmaking group sends her different pictures and descriptions of potential mates. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026 The little lightning bugs blink in unison while searching for mates. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026 Then one faction began killing their former group mates on the other side, researchers write today in the journal Science. —Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026 Kate Hudson wore a pair of itty-bitty leather shorts while on the press tour for season 2 of Running Point with her cast mates. —Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026 Some toms, like some men, want talkative mates while others prefer as little talk as possible. —Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
The 31-year-old target man scored a late winner against Mbappe’s Madrid to hoist Mallorca out of the bottom three a fortnight ago, and was mobbed by his team-mates as the final whistle blew. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side. —thehustle.co, 17 Apr. 2026 My mates and bandmates are all chosen accordingly. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026 The matchmaking group sends her different pictures and descriptions of potential mates. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026 The little lightning bugs blink in unison while searching for mates. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026 Then one faction began killing their former group mates on the other side, researchers write today in the journal Science. —Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026 Kate Hudson wore a pair of itty-bitty leather shorts while on the press tour for season 2 of Running Point with her cast mates. —Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026 Some toms, like some men, want talkative mates while others prefer as little talk as possible. —Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
The centre-forward is increasingly aware of these situations, positioning himself correctly or attacking the right space to offer his team-mates an option when City are attacking the wide areas. —Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mates
Noun
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My own life does not feel like one continuous thing but, rather, two distinct halves that belong to two very different people.— Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
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After not allowing a single goal in the entire playoffs, the Mustangs forfeited a pair of goals in a three-minute span of the first and second halves.— Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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All this in an environment where politicians like Jeff Bridges (running for state treasurer who lives in the Cherry Creek school district) whine and snivel about his associates in the teachers’ union not having the funds to effectively teach our kids.— DP Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
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His associates have unleashed a war over control of the Sinaloa cartel against factions tied to Ismael Zambada, the co-founder of the group who is also awaiting trial in the United States.— CBS News, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Wall Group negotiates all these deals with cosmetics ambassadorships, hair product lines, top luxury brands like Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Prada, all while monitoring the work of stylists’ assistants to see who’s ready to ascend the ladder.— Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents roughly 30,000 support staff, including bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and special education assistants, met with the district Thursday for a mediation session.— Teresa Liu, Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Instead, welcome practical discussions with partners, spouses and friends about making future plans.— Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
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The city is also working with schools, community partners and a social media campaign to inform children and their parents, a city spokesperson said.— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Pack your phone, wallet, keys, and other essentials, like a glasses case and lip gloss, and prepare to head out for a date night or brunch with friends.— Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
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The show follows two upper-crust friends, Julia (O’Hara) and Jane (Byrne), who discover their former lover Maurice (Mark Consuelos) has touched down in London while their husbands are on a golf trip.— Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The rooms The island sleeps ten (exclusive buyouts are very much an option), with three bedrooms in the main house and one in the two-story boat house by the jetty.— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
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That has created a huge opening for new media like the Meidas Touch or Aaron Parnas, who apparently never sleeps.— Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While this makes alliums great companions for most vegetables and herbs, asparagus and alliums just don’t mix.— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2026
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Implications for humans What should humans take away from episodes in which their closest genetic relatives turn on their companions?— Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Most importantly, Charnoz and his colleagues’ results clustered into three mineralogical families that closely resemble the composition of the three main chondrite types.— Javier Barbuzano, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
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Fernandez said the broad support for his proposal among his commission colleagues runs counter to public narratives about tow companies wielding undue influence in Miami Beach.— Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/mates. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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