chum 1 of 2

noun

ˈchəm How to pronounce chum (audio)
Definition of chumnext
as in friend
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another college chums who go way back

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chum

2 of 2

verb

as in to associate
to come or be together as friends they always chum around together

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 chum
Noun
Barreling into large, heavy fish with enough force to blast them into instant chum is a previously unknown collaborative feeding strategy among orcas, scientifically called Orcinus orca, also known as killer whales. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026 Commissioned by Mattel as a blatant weekly half-hour commercial for its popular toy line, the show pits He-Man and his heroic chums against the evil (but strangely inept) Skeletor in a battle for control of Castle Grayskull. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
Verb
Observers trace the current fissures to Carlson hosting Fuentes on his podcast in October, chumming it up with the heil Hitler-spouting troll to his millions of followers. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Feb. 2026 To make matters worse, in the chumming scenes the water is flat calm — terrible for creating a slick. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chum
  1. friend
  2. associate
  3. buddy
  4. travel
  5. run
  6. bond
  7. mix
  8. join
Noun
  • Her Steel Magnolias costars Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field also penned emotional tributes, as well as her friends Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett and Billy Ray Cyrus.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The first is something Panthea Parker, a headache become corporeal, brings up at a jewelry event hosted by her friend Queenie.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of friend
Verb
  • Getting that apparently trivial behavior working involved Home Assistant, MQTT, custom software, and more Claude, Codex and ChatGPT tokens than one should reasonably associate with boiling pasta.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The team believes that the approach could reduce wasted heat and also eliminate emissions associated with burning fossil fuels in cement kilns.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of associate
Noun
  • Another buddy, Steven Spielberg, also supplied some intimate footage.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Mel might be a disaster with her loud mouth and impolite antics, but her over-the-top meddling does her buddies some good.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of buddy
Verb
  • Against all odds, Nene takes the road less traveled and apologizes.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • From a design-forward city escape to an eco-friendly island retreat (and a uniquely historic getaway coming soon), discover what Patina can offer globe-trotters interested in a transformative way of traveling through life and through the world.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of travel
Verb
  • Stone ran for three touchdowns, including an 85-yarder late in the first half.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Sebold’s was the third such attack in Thornden Park, which runs alongside the campus, in about seven months.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of run
Verb
  • Their latest case is brought to them by Cinda Canning (Tina Fey), the host of the podcast that bonded them in the first place.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • According to Waller, the two quickly bonded during the call, reportedly discussing a conspiracy theory that Romanian officials were targeting the Tate brothers.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of bond
Verb
  • Start by mixing a small amount of the new food with your dog's current food.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles star is already in the Bravo universe and is going to trade franchises and mix in with the likes of Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke, Erika Jayne, Rachel Zoe and Bozoma Saint John.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mix
Verb
  • Martin, 22, joined the Pride ahead of the 2026 season after signing her first professional contract with the club in January following a standout collegiate career at Georgetown University.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Volunteers rush to save livestock and help Ranchers For the past 48 hours, Garrett Duvall and the Rancher's Navy have been moving through the burn zone, joining dozens of volunteers and crews trying to save livestock and help ranchers recover.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of join

Browse Nearby Words

chuffs
chum
chummed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
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

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

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All