1
2
as in to join
to become a member of patriotic young men and women entering the armed services debutantes entering society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to record
to put (someone or something) on a list new voters fill out a form and elections officials enter their names into the database

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in to receive
to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to the club enters only five new members a year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb enter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of enter are penetrate, pierce, and probe. While all these words mean "to make way into something," enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.

entered the city in triumph

Where would penetrate be a reasonable alternative to enter?

While the synonyms penetrate and enter are close in meaning, penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.

the enemy penetrated the fortress

When can pierce be used instead of enter?

Although the words pierce and enter have much in common, pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.

pierced the boil with a lancet

When is it sensible to use probe instead of enter?

In some situations, the words probe and enter are roughly equivalent. However, probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.

probed the depths of the sea

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Recent Examples of enter Neptune entering Aries asks you to surrender an outdated ego. Usa Today, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025 Callender entered in the 86th minute and did not allow a ball to get past him as Inter Miami successfully held off Philadelphia despite an additional nine minutes of stoppage time and some contentious play between the sides down the stretch. Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2025 On the first visit, Jones took photos from inside the building of the window that the thieves used to enter the palace. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025 Around noon on Tuesday, protesters dodged vehicles entering and exiting the business park just off the 91 Freeway. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enter
Verb
  • The therapy uses a combination of lasers and light treatments to penetrate the skin based on the severity of the acne.
    Susan Bard, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Use the tip of your tongue to penetrate around the hole and the flat part of your tongue to lick some areas.
    Ian Kumamoto, Them, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Jurado joins two other Asian American councilmembers, John Lee and Nithya Raman.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Finland and Sweden have both joined the alliance in recent years.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The administration expects the new rates to remain in place until the U.S. narrows a $1.2 trillion trade imbalance recorded last year.
    Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Even worse, the duo recorded zero interceptions and just one turnover between them — a Holland forced fumble in Week 1.
    C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Thoughtful estate planning can rectify this oversight, ensuring that non-biological but emotionally significant heirs receive their fair share.
    Ashley Case, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The international market excluding China received a marginal $200 million increase to $17 billion.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The defendants did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on April 2. OnlyFans is a social platform that allows users to subscribe to creators’ accounts and access exclusive content.
    Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Prime members can access the service for INR99 ($1.15) per month, unlocking Apple’s exclusive content library featuring weekly releases.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That’s why rejoining the muscles can glean positive results greater than just losing a poochy belly.
    Meirav Devash, Allure, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Looking at the credits, there’s a lot of studios listed on here, even on some individual tracks, so most of these songs look like they were worked on over a period of time, sometimes with different people and places.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
  • For context, some of the league’s smaller market teams, such as the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Oklahoma City Thunder, are based in cities with populations far larger than any of the counties listed above.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That, for me, is the only piercing message of this whole thing.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
  • That list was winnowed in December to three corridors, including what is known as the Southwestern Grid Connector — which would run up the eastern edge of New Mexico, scrape the western edge of the Oklahoma panhandle and pierce the southeast corner of Colorado.
    John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enter. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

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