game 1 of 2

noun

ˈgām How to pronounce game (audio)
Definition of gamenext
1
as in tournament
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize decided he would indulge in a friendly basketball game with his friends before dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in strategy
a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective the crook told his accomplice, "Here's the game: look surprised when the police ask about the money"

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in play
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously there's no need to get upset, all our teasing is only a game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living stand-up comedy is his game, and he's one of a handful of people making a decent living at it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in area
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence the education game simply was no longer of interest to her

Synonyms & Similar Words

game

2 of 2

adjective

as in ready
having a desire or inclination (as for a specified course of action) are you game for going out tonight?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun game differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of game are fun, jest, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When could fun be used to replace game?

While in some cases nearly identical to game, fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

When can jest be used instead of game?

While the synonyms jest and game are close in meaning, jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When is play a more appropriate choice than game?

The synonyms play and game are sometimes interchangeable, but play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

When might sport be a better fit than game?

The meanings of sport and game largely overlap; however, sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

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 game
Noun
Going from street clothes to an NFL practice jersey, and then to a preseason game in less than seven days. — Ren Clayton, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Kanter Freedom joined a small rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena before the game. — Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham addressed a viral pre-game rant by their head coach after the Indiana Fever's 106-92 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 His post-game theme was to maximize every day, every drill, every practice and to ask if that day’s practice film would concern any opponents. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for game
Recent Examples of Synonyms for game
  1. tournament
  2. strategy
  3. play
  4. profession
  5. area
  6. ready
  7. competition
  8. plan
Noun
  • Player of the Week Senior outside hitter Quinn Grevengoed tallies 92 kills and 15 aces in seven matches and then is named MVP for host Chicago Christian as Knights take tournament title for first time since 2014.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On the flipside, three other golfers with ties to Baltimore — Phil Fairbanks of Columbia, Tom Winegardner of Lothian and Richard Sovero of Catonsville — fell outside of the Top 64, ending their stay in the tournament.
    — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tournament
Noun
  • That's a step in the right direction as far as we're concerned, because Jim Cramer has been after Nvidia to institute an Apple-style stock repurchase strategy.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Ahead of her Edinburgh appearance, Lyvers talked to THR about her team’s original content strategy, why ambition and characters are key, Sky’s film slate and how important, or not, franchises and star power are.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of strategy
Noun
  • The Rattlers finished 4-4 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play in 2025, just two seasons removed from winning the Celebration Bowl and a Black college football national championship.
    — John Devine, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And the who, what and why of the vengeful spirit is the narrative pull of the play — along with the tense anticipation of more revelations, suspicions and shocks.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of play
Noun
  • Hogan, who spends the off-season as a graduate student in fiction writing at the University of Houston, seemed to view smokejumping not only as a profession but as a world view.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Looking at passing citizens reveals flavor text about their professions and backgrounds.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of profession
Noun
  • Shawn Ryan Tackling a distance like that will need considerably more solar area, but Ryan has ruled out the obvious fix of simply widening his current upright bike and plastering it with panels.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • By dawn, a margin of only a few hundred votes separated the two camps before the gap grew as more ballots were tallied in areas of the country where opposition was greater.
    — Kwiyeon Ha, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of area
Adjective
  • The couple was ready to back out, but the contractor promised to repair the damage at no extra cost, and an inspector said that Pinky’s bones were still good.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The equally charming loveseat version, now $240 off in chocolate brown, has a matching midcentury look and is ready to fit into any cozy living room nook.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of ready
Noun
  • Combined with recent updates across several companies in the AI industry, the AI competition appears to have entered a new phase centered on cost-efficiency.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Horse racing revenue in Illinois had been dwindling for years due to competition from casinos, the lottery, and video and sports gambling.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of competition
Noun
  • Alignment on a plan does not rescue a plan that does not compound customer value.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Vikings will use him on special teams and as a game-plan-specific blitzer.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of plan

Phrases Containing game

Browse Nearby Words

gambols
game
gamely
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Cite this Entry

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

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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