augment

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb augment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of augment are enlarge, increase, and multiply. While all these words mean "to make or become greater," augment implies addition to what is already well grown or well developed.

the inheritance augmented his fortune

When is it sensible to use enlarge instead of augment?

The words enlarge and augment can be used in similar contexts, but enlarge implies expansion or extension that makes greater in size or capacity.

enlarged the kitchen

When might increase be a better fit than augment?

In some situations, the words increase and augment are roughly equivalent. However, increase used intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarily progressive addition.

his waistline increased with age
increased her landholdings

Where would multiply be a reasonable alternative to augment?

While in some cases nearly identical to augment, multiply implies increase in number by natural generation or by indefinite repetition of a process.

with each attempt the problems multiplied

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 augment The Arsenal hierarchy recognise there is some urgency to the situation, and are actively seeking to augment Arteta’s attacking options between now and the February 3 deadline. James McNicholas, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 The military has been deployed in this role for years, and President Biden relied on the same emergency authority to augment their numbers. Elizabeth Goitein, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025 The Joe Mantello Creative Catalyst Endowed Fund for Drama will support original productions from students and augment existing programs on campus such as Keys to the Kingdom, which is a season in the fourth year that is programmed, produced, directed, acted and often written or devised by students. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025 Disruption risk The prospects of that future — and the fact that Wall Street’s workers are helping train a technology that may make some roles obsolete, while augmenting other jobs and creating new roles altogether — may send a fresh wave of anxiety through employee ranks. Hugh Son, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for augment 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for augment
Verb
  • Finally, keep in mind that eating more beans is hardly the only way to increase your fiber tolerance.
    Caroline Tien, SELF, 7 Feb. 2025
  • So there’s an urge to call those episodes something, and thanks to Community and TV Tropes and the increasing ubiquity of online TV discourse, the term bottle episode has been floating around, ready for the (inaccurate) taking!
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Look, $100 million on initiatives like expanding atheism in Nepal.
    Linda Qiu, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Immigrant advocates have pushed to shore up those protections with a federal bill that would expand visa eligibility for workers cooperating with regulators to expose labor violations, so far without success.
    Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • As digital transformation accelerates, leaders like Balatka with Semantic Visions are paving the way for a more resilient and efficient supply chain industry.
    Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Our energy strategy must prioritize affordability for residents while accelerating our transition toward sustainable energy sources.
    Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • However, those two recommendations affirmed CTU’s position that despite claims to the contrary, the district has the revenue to boost salaries and staffing as the union proposed, union officials said at a Wednesday news conference.
    Ikram Mohamed, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Earth’s surface has now been so warm for so much of the past two years that scientists are examining whether something else in the planet’s chemistry might have changed, something that is boosting temperatures beyond what carbon emissions alone can explain.
    Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Fears are mounting that the Trump administration could remove the country’s eligibility from the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), a trade act that enhances market access to the US for qualifying Sub-Saharan African nations.
    Lauren Kent, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The phenomenon will visible to the naked eye from Earth’s Western Hemisphere, but will be enhanced with telescopes and binoculars, NASA says.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near augment

Cite this Entry

“Augment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/augment. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on augment

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