summon

verb

ˈsə-mən How to pronounce summon (audio)
Definition of summonnext
1
as in to call
to demand or request the presence or service of without explanation, the managing editor summoned me to his office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to gather
to call into being through the use of one's inner resources or powers managed to summon a bright smile despite the gloomy day

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to muster
to bring together in assembly by or as if by command summoned a special session of parliament

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of summon are call, cite, convene, convoke, and muster. While all these words mean "to demand the presence of," summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

How are the words call and summon related?

Call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

When can cite be used instead of summon?

In some situations, the words cite and summon are roughly equivalent. However, cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

How do convene and convoke relate to one another, in the sense of summon?

Convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

When is convoke a more appropriate choice than summon?

The words convoke and summon can be used in similar contexts, but convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

When might muster be a better fit than summon?

Although the words muster and summon have much in common, muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

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 summon One morning last month during the first week of camp, Weinstein paused the pitching machine and summoned a trio of Cubs catchers to huddle around him. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2025 That plan may preclude the Astros from summoning Smith to the major leagues for the remainder of 2025. —Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 7 Mar. 2025 Pregnant Woman and Her Fiancé Dead After Being Swept Out to Sea by Wave at Calif. ‘Death Rocks’ Authorities said that deputies were summoned to Gerstle Cove for a water rescue on Sunday, March 2, around 10:41 a.m. —David Chiu, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025 New York City's Eric Adams, Boston's Michelle Wu, Denver's Mike Johnson and Chicago's Brandon Johnson were all summoned to the House Oversight Committee to justify their stances on not allowing local police and other agencies to help with immigration enforcement. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for summon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summon
  1. call
  2. gather
  3. muster
  4. ask
  5. convene
  6. invite
  7. assemble
Verb
  • Those in need of shelter from the cold can call 211 to check availability of beds.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Their children’s schoolmates call the sisters the Puffling Queens.
    — Cheryl Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023
Definition of call
Verb
  • In a candid conversation with Variety, Shaikh opens up about working with stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah and R. Madhavan, her love for acting and the lessons she’s gathered along the way.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
  • This context, along with the documentation her lawyer gathered, which included interviews with her siblings showing how her imprisonment had impacted them, was enough for a judge to grant her release from prison.
    — Nathaly Triana, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of gather
Verb
  • With the game tied at 99 apiece and under one minute left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks mustered a stop on a Lakers offense supercharged by the Luka Doncic mega trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The Brazilian has mustered less than half of Arda’s tally of minutes at 457, and has just four starts which have mainly come in the Copa del Rey amid being unable to dislodge Kylian Mbappe from his starting number 9 berth.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of muster
Verb
  • Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office at 703-777-1021.
    — Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Philip’s mother confirmed the death with the outlet, explaining that her son died Friday night (March 14) and asked fans to respect the family’s privacy at this time.
    — Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of ask
Verb
  • The Prime Minister will convene the ministerial team on Saturday night to receive a detailed report from the negotiating team, and to decide on the next steps for the release of the hostages.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Netanyahu will convene a ministerial team on Saturday night to discuss the hostages situation, receive a detailed report from the Israeli negotiating team, and decide on next steps, the prime minister's office said.
    — Barak Ravid, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of convene
Verb
  • Every conductor is, in effect, a guest of the manor invited by the musicians.
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025
  • To bridge this gap, the Evo Sessions invited these women and other influential figures to experience the sport firsthand and authentically share it with their audiences.
    — Jenn Nelson, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of invite
Verb
  • The 151-foot statue was assembled in France by 1884 and presented to the U.S. minister to France that same year.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Unlike other cleaners, Eureka’s comes fully assembled, a bonus that customers raved about.
    — Ali Faccenda, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of assemble

Browse Nearby Words

summon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Summon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summon. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on summon

Nglish: Translation of summon for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All