Definition of coursenext
1
as in procedure
a way of acting or proceeding the president's usual course has been to obtain advice from several people and then make up his own mind

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Relevance
2
as in class
a series of lectures on a subject a course on American history from the colonial period to the present

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3
4
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves the river follows a southeasterly course to the ocean

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5

course

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to track
to go after or on the track of after coursing the conspirators for months, the federal agents closed in and made the arrests

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to traverse
to make one's way through, across, or over once the threat of terrorism became apparent, fighter jets began coursing that corridor on a daily basis

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3

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 course
Noun
The smallest robot was the most agile of the three, and the largest one was the best at maintaining its trajectory when faced with disturbances meant to throw it off course. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 The film’s greatest special effect indeed becomes time itself, as the cast ages and grows across the course of the story. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Van der Poel delivered the superhuman and curled up like a baby, suffering coursing through every nerve end. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 July 2026 What could be a stock campus ice-queen role is subverted throughout the season, through the empathy for the character that courses through her performance. Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for course
Recent Examples of Synonyms for course
Noun
  • The 11-member board also reviews police policies, procedures and training, and advises BART leadership.
    Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The plan follows state law and administrative rules on recount procedures, and is consistent with plans of its kind for the past two decades.
    Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Figuratively speaking, by this point, this class has been bloodied in battle and have gotten to know each other.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Because that 2022 draft class is out the door — nine of its 10 members, anyway.
    Sam McDowell August 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • What the article does not show is that this process is what high-performing firms use, or that firms which use it then outperform.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • To comply, states would have to retool their processes for printing and mailing ballots, a potentially expensive process that might be difficult to achieve quickly.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Check the requirement, confirm the route, draft the plan, or ask one better question.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads.
    Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The iconic destination woos visitors with its rich history, stunning architecture, and a unique network of bridges and canals linking neighborhoods across the Venetian lagoon.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Police are warning families to watch their children and pets around canals, ponds and other waterways after an American crocodile killed a dog in South Miami on Thursday.
    David Goodhue August 27, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The second system being tracked by the NHC was a weak area of low pressure with disorganized cloudiness and showers located in the northeastern and north-central Gulf.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Charlotte Observer will be tracking all the movement in this live blog.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And while Jonas is no stranger to traversing the nation, often on a tour bus, he may not have been accustomed to the way it was done on the commercial’s set.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The ride reaches speeds of 72 mph, the fastest coaster in Universal’s global portfolio, while traversing 4,100 feet of track, two towering inverted loops and a pretzel loop.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Dustin Arnold, were racing as fast as 120 mph in order to get to the scene.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In the span of less than a week this July, surgeons at a Southern California hospital raced to save the lives of two women suffering from alarmingly similar brain hemorrhages.
    Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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