ACQUIRE Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

acquire

verb

ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r

Definition of acquire

as in to develop

to come to have gradually from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to earn

to receive as return for effort acquired a reputation for always arriving at his friends' house just as they were sitting down to dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 acquire Tight end Darren Waller, who the team acquired a few weeks ago and who will go through the 2026 preseason without playing in one of its games. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026 Wright, for example, had signed a three-year, $3,125,000 contract with the Eagles before being acquired by the Browns—giving the undrafted Gen Z Wright an average salary of $1,041,667. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 In 2021, Hyatt acquired the Secrets Resorts brand, bringing Akumal and other Secrets properties into its fold. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 There is some thought that the former, the club-record transfer fee to acquire Luiz, won’t stand for long. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquire

Verb

The approach, developed by a team led by researchers from York University in Toronto, could improve how humanoid robots judge distances, recognize object orientation, and navigate complex environments.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Since Ozzy’s death, Jack has been involved in the family business, which includes creating an Ozzy AI avatar and developing a film about his life and career with Sony.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.

— Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
On Monday, those five writers — also DSA-LA members — panned the idea of an endorsement, saying Raman hasn’t earned it.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of earn

Verb

For leaders, cultivating an environment where people actively seek out and fill these gaps is what separates adaptive companies from stagnant ones.

— Stacy L. Hambleton, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
For years, the British American brothers cultivated the image that laws did not apply to them even as legal troubles mounted in the UK, Romania and the US.

— Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of cultivate

Verb

Oswego finished seven of its 11 drives by scoring points and gained 483 yards.

— Jerry Birchfield, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Iceland, which gained independence from Denmark in 1944, has a proud history of independence, of not allowing itself to be pushed around by bigger and richer European nations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

All the drama from last week’s showdown with the season-21 designers is resolved by season 22 winning the unconventional-materials challenge.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Chidgasornpongse won best director in the Asian New Talent competition at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where Sompop Songkampol also took best actor.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of win

Verb

According to the police documents obtained by Law & Crime, Weatherall, 22, ordered a Lyft ride to an apartment complex in Greenville.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
After obtaining the suspect's name and descriptions of both the man and his vehicle, DeLong cleared the call.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of obtain

Verb

Her cycle of resurrections, the highs and lows, didn’t seem to change her much over the years, even as the highs garnered her over half a billion dollars.

— Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Trio would garner Parton her first, and so far only, Grammy Award nomination for album of the year.

— Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of garner

Browse Nearby Words

acquirable

acquire

acquired

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“Acquire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquire. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of acquire

verb

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