churches

noun

plural of church
1
as in temples
a building for public worship and especially Christian worship a city that is noted for its many historic churches

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2
as in congregations
a body of persons gathered for religious worship spoke to the whole church at once

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in clergies
the group ordained to perform clerical functions in the Christian church a time when few young men seem to want to join the church

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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 churches Across the country, churches and city halls opened specially on Saturday so people could light candles, write down their thoughts about the deceased king in condolence books. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Across the country, churches and city halls opened specially on Saturday so people could light candles and write down their thoughts about the deceased king in condolence books. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 This location is more residential, with quieter streets and approachable local trattorias, but offers several architecturally significant palaces and one of the city's oldest churches, the 11th-century San Zan Degola. — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The Coptic church is one of the oldest churches in the world. — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The restriping and new infrastructure, advocacy groups and neighborhood associations hoped, could encourage business growth and make the street safer for the nearby schools, community centers and churches. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 About 175 of those are commercial businesses, warehouses, government buildings and churches. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 In South Carolina and Utah, recent outbreaks have been linked to low vaccination rates among conservative religious groups that are not connected with Mennonite churches. — Kathryn H. Jacobsen, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 Last Saturday, crowds streamed into Palisades Village for the first time since January 2025, when the Palisades fire killed 12 people and destroyed nearly 7,000 homes, businesses, schools and churches. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churches
  1. temples
  2. congregations
  3. cathedrals
Noun
  • The temple — one of more than 200 LDS temples operating globally — has been closed since late 2019 for renovations to expand its interior, shore up its foundation and make seismic upgrades.
    — Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Expected attendees include entrepreneurs, educators, artists, youth leaders, faith leaders and public officials as well as representatives from temples and yoga centers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of temples
Noun
  • Eventually, the conservatives succeeded; the denomination finally divided in a schism in 2024, with more than seventy-six hundred congregations leaving to join a conservative Global Methodist Church.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • From 2015 to 2025, the sect’s congregations in Idaho experienced 15 preventable deaths of children, according to ProPublica’s reporting.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of congregations
Noun
  • The interior is like a step into Italy, with tall arches, a dome ceiling from old cathedrals and a mosaic fountain on the back bar, all surrounded by bronze sculptures.
    — Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Enclosed by a network of 13th-century walls, the narrow streets of old York host myriad awe-inspiring relics from its pre-industrial past, perhaps the most famous being York Minster, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals anywhere.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of cathedrals

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church
churches
churchgoer
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Cite this Entry

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

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