THRIVE Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

thrive

verb

ˈthrīv

Definition of thrive

as in to flourish

to grow vigorously these plants thrive with relatively little sunlight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to succeed

to reach a desired level of accomplishment going to a school for gifted students will help him thrive as a musical prodigy

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 thrive What to know about brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri is a type of amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs, according to the CDC. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The people featured in the 11th annual installment of this uplifting exercise help the less fortunate, tend to the environment, tempt our taste buds, help budding entrepreneurs thrive, minister to the downtrodden and more. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 These are all skills that emerging leaders need to grow and thrive. — Melissa A. Wheeler, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In the late 1950s, Kusama moved to New York and thrived within the city's avant-garde scene. — Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thrive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrive

Verb

A great deal of flourishing and suffering happens between people, not just within them, because human beings are relational beings.

— David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
The unsettled partisan lines around this issue have allowed anger, rooted in decades of deindustrialization and public austerity, to flourish in the electorate.

— Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of flourish

Verb

Four years after succeeding founder Virgil Abloh as the creative lead at Off-White, Ib Kamara has departed the brand.

— Luke Leitch, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
Republicans are trying to tie the Democratic Party in general to the democratic socialist candidates who have succeeded this year in running for office.

— Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of succeed

Verb

Still, those who prosper based on achieving productivity advances naturally have greater wealth than before, only to drive up other prices formerly lower due to more subdued economic growth.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Firms with proprietary data that is valuable to AI agents should be better positioned to prosper, while software companies that offer little beyond functionality — and have few other sources of customer stickiness — could struggle.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian and Stephen Henriques, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of prosper

Verb

This position — especially once assistant head coach Frank Smith arrived — requires immense mental aptitude.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The minister said Nepal has received over 57 metric tons of relief supplies from India, with additional aid arriving from China, Japan, Australia and other countries.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrive

Browse Nearby Words

thrills

thrive

thrived

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of thrive

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

Popular in Wordplay

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

Popular

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

Games & Quizzes