rent 1 of 2

Definition of rentnext
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

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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

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

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 rent
Noun
The film is also available on-demand and on various streamers for rent or purchase. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026 Now, with 31% of lab space sitting empty, a handful of companies — some international — are swooping in on declining rents and rising landlord concessions. Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
Tunnel Projects, founded three years ago when artists rented vacant spaces in a strip mall basement for as little as $150 a month, now houses about 15 artists and has drawn attention from curators at the ICA, the Perez Art Museum Miami and commercial galleries. Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026 In China, rent in major cities often runs 60% to 70% lower. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
Noun
  • After it was repaired in April 2025, remaining pinhole tears caused by embers from the fire meant the reservoir had to be drained again, Collins said.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Further stories illuminate emotional realities burrowed deep within enormously likeable characters, often moving the reader (or this reader anyway) to astonished tears.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This time, there wasn’t nearly as long of a gap between scoring outbursts.
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The deal is Ascentium’s most recent in more than a dozen acquisitions, plugging a gap in the company’s mainland China coverage while deepening its footprint in hot Southeast Asian growth markets.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Part of the building is listed online as available to lease.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Crain's Chicago Business and CoStar both reported Thursday that the firm is talking to Google about leasing 300,000 square feet of space.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • To wriggle out of Joseph’s grasp, Michael hires a brash young lawyer, John Branca, played by Miles Teller, who lends the coolly confident character a delightfully rough edge.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Costs increase for those hiring an attorney or genealogist.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Welcoming model Amelia Gray as a guest judge, Klum posed for portraits with the 24-year-old, who paired a cropped blue-violet turtleneck with a matching low-slung slit skirt.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Its large leaves develop holes and slits that have earned it the name Swiss cheese plant.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Round pegs found round holes all over the pitch.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
  • To make your yard appealing to a wide variety of bees, install several bee houses with nesting holes of varying sizes.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Our room had a cosy living area with a plump sofa, desk and coffee-station-slash-mini-bar, which abuts a welcome space to spread out during our stay.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
  • To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching).
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Over four days in Lausanne, Real Madrid, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge’s Under-19 teams are competing against each other — and the opening matches were not short of action.
    Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
  • All this gives recovery specialists an opening.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/rent. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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