AWARDS Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

awards 1 of 2

noun

plural of award

as in prizes

something given in recognition of achievement Faye received the highest award in the 16 and under category for her poem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in decisions

a position arrived at after consideration in their award the board of arbitrators declared that both writers deserved screen credit for their contributions to the final screenplay

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

awards

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of award

as in rewards

to give something as a token of gratitude or admiration for a service or achievement we will award the top three contestants in the essay competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in grants

to give the ownership or benefit of (something) formally or publicly custody of the boy was awarded to the grandparents

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 awards

Noun

The project won the top prize at Guangxi’s provincial science and technology awards on August 24. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 His sporting career earned him numerous awards, including the prestigious Holmenkollen Medal in 2007. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 Swallow Wings timed the release for the awards-season peak and turned collectible artwork into one of the campaign’s central hooks. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 This is not a prediction or expectation, but all of these players are capable of winning awards. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 Ahead of the awards, the inaugural BMI Foundation Babyface Award was given to songwriter and producer Rijah Banerjee. — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 Fjord is likely to be part of the upcoming awards season conversation over the coming weeks and months. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026 Every year brings a handful of new Netflix darlings — Adolescence dominated the awards circuit just last year! — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026 These awards are presented not by the judges, but by the pageant’s sponsors. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

The tour on Monday revealed plans for PGA Tour Charities ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship, which has a $40 million purse that awards $10 million to the winner. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 Even if the court awards smaller damages, the states also seek an order to change how Meta’s platforms operate. — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 The Justice Department awards billions of dollars in federal grants each year. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, a statewide housing finance authority that awards those credits to developers, lobbied Congress for the change. — Solomon Greene, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026 The initiative also features the CyberSafe Raffle, which awards a $10,000 grant to a school of an employee’s choice. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 What else is going on Rebecca Grossman and an ex-Dodger were found liable for the crash that killed two boys; a jury awards $176 million. — Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 Back then, Jagland was the secretary general of the European Council and chairman of the committee that awards the Nobel peace prize. — Ola Morris Innset, The Dial, 2 June 2026 The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) reinstituted a pilot program that awards any female athlete who finished behind Hernandez one spot higher, resulting in Hernandez sharing podium spots with females in the last two rounds of the state tournament. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for awards

Noun

Four top prizes and seven $250,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
Rankine won a raft of prizes, among them a MacArthur genius grant.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of prizes

Noun

Unrivaled remains governed by a 10-player committee, who advise on decisions such as travel and expansion.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Some might wonder why the commission has not already opened an investigation, given the seemingly ample amount of evidence that FIFA does not consult before making big decisions, but Masters took a more diplomatic stance.

— Matt Slater, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of decisions

Verb

Decisions happen inside systems shaped by who is in the room, what information reaches them, whose perspective carries the most weight and what the organization rewards.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Our expert take The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card features rewards rates that match many of the top cash-back credit cards.

— Ryley Amond,Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of rewards

Verb

This option also grants a handful of extra features, such as custom branding, domains, and team analytics.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026
No Ivy League school, and no flagship public such as the universities of Michigan or Virginia, grants a digital humanities degree or houses a department.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grants

Noun

All these accolades and swift-but-eventful years later, the persona of the guy who became a wonder of the world remains intact and part of his unique appeal.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Parton provided a great example of true allyship—not the surface-level kind that many engage in for proverbial cookies, public praise and accolades.

— Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of accolades

Verb

Thus this year’s list honors those who do more than wear clothes well or live their lives in head-to-toe ensembles handed to them by eager PR apparatchiks.

— Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
The organization also supports first responders and their families and honors those who have died by suicide.

— Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of honors

Noun

The fix always seems to require better opinions, and opinions are exactly the thing that’s unreliable in the first place.

— Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Eric has never shied away from expressing his opinions on the state of high school sports and how they can be improved.

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

Definition of opinions

Browse Nearby Words

awarding

awards

aware

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Awards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awards. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of awards

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes