train 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrān How to pronounce train (audio)
Definition of trainnext
1
as in entourage
a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a movie star who never goes anywhere without a train of personal assistants to cater to his every whim and need

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in fleet
a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a train of supply trucks making its way to the army encampment

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in queue
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another already a long train of ticket buyers waiting outside the stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in sequence
a series of things linked together you've broken my train of thought—now what were we talking about?

Synonyms & Similar Words

train

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to prepare
to bring to a proper or desired state of fitness has been training track-and-field athletes at the school for years

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to teach
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field will train the students in good study habits

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3
as in to focus
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective train all your thoughts on imagining how you'd score the winning goal in the game

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4
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal trained his eyes on the distant bull's-eye

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to equip
to make competent (as by training, skill, or ability) for a particular office or function he's so experienced that they usually use him to train new recruits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of train are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and teach. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than train?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When could educate be used to replace train?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When is it sensible to use instruct instead of train?

The synonyms instruct and train are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to train?

While in some cases nearly identical to train, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When might teach be a better fit than train?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

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 train
Noun
Now in its ninth edition, the Europe-Latin America television and networking event takes place June 16–19 in Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, just an hour east of Madrid by train. —Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 13 May 2025 The lights went out from Lisbon to Barcelona; trains stopped, air traffic controllers went offline and hospital workers scrambled to keep patients alive. —Kelly McKinney, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
Verb
Getty Images British businesses are warning the U.K. government that plans to tighten immigration rules on foreign workers — and to instead train and recruit more British personnel — will lead to labor shortages in key sectors. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 May 2025 That means investing in new hardware, developing smarter software, training a skilled workforce and building partnerships between government, industry and academia. —Jack Dongarra, The Conversation, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for train
Recent Examples of Synonyms for train
  1. entourage
  2. fleet
  3. queue
  4. sequence
  5. prepare
  6. teach
  7. focus
  8. aim
Noun
  • So, the fact that Viola has her entourage and her followers, and this idea of everyone who’s taken the potion lives within her palace.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 May 2025
  • Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images Donald Trump’s jaunt to the Middle East featured an entourage of billionaire tech bros, a fighter-jet escort, and business deals designed to reshape the global landscape of artificial intelligence.
    — Will Knight, Wired News, 15 May 2025
Definition of entourage
Noun
  • Estonia said that a Russian military jet violated its airspace on May 13 after the Estonian Navy tried to stop the tanker Jaguar, believed to be in Moscow's shadow fleet that circumvents oil sanctions.
    — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
  • Improving idling times across the fleet during loading and unloading through technological advancements and educational efforts among our drivers.
    — Gary Occhiogrosso, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of fleet
Noun
  • As such, Samsung owners waiting in a queue behind Pixel owners is ridiculous.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • The weekend is here, which means a fresh batch of movie and TV titles are in the queue.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 8 May 2025
Definition of queue
Noun
  • Establish a consistent bedtime routine: A simple sequence like bath, book, feed, lullaby, and bed can cue sleep.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • Richards played all 540 minutes of Palace’s triumphant FA Cup run, a six-match sequence that included three contests against teams in the top half of the Premier League table.
    — Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Definition of sequence
Verb
  • Several media outlets reported earlier this month that the Trump administration was preparing releasing the full audio.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • The leaders did a deep dive into how to prepare for the three-game, eight-day stretch, which began last Saturday, with a 2-1 win at St. Louis City SC and followed with the 2-0 win Wednesday against Colorado.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025
Definition of prepare
Verb
  • The name is a riff on Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, from the X-Men, where Professor X teaches mutants, who are discriminated against by humans for being different, to control their powers.
    — Sean Clancy, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
  • One of the first lessons an old Cree taught me is something every beginner should know: When traveling (but not when hunting), break a twig on a low branch of a tree every 30 to 50 feet.
    — Ted Updike, Outdoor Life, 22 May 2025
Definition of teach
Verb
  • Recent research has focused on how climate change is increasing the impact of the earthquake on coastal areas that will suddenly sink.
    — Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • Don’t be tempted to grab every card you’re offered, and focus on cards that complement one another.
    — Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Definition of focus
Verb
  • That license is currently set to expire on May 27, but sources indicate it may now be extended by 60 days — an apparent diplomatic concession aimed at easing tensions and fostering future cooperation.
    — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
  • The fruit of two years of research, the project aims to chronicle the legendary tenor’s life from his boyhood in Modena, Italy, to his confirmation as a star at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the 1970s.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Definition of aim

Phrases Containing train

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trails
train
trainability
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Cite this Entry

“Train.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/train. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on train

Nglish: Translation of train for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about train

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