as in suffrages
the right to formally express one's position or will in an election
the Territory of Wyoming granted women the franchise in 1869, a full 51 years before the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in all elections
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 franchises
The Valkyries set a high bar for new franchises, but Portland and Toronto will likely both rank in the top five for 2026 revenue.
—
Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
So much for the complaints raised last summer about the PWHL’s expansion process favoring the league’s newest franchises in Seattle and Vancouver.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
Nintendo’s latest console offers access to some of the most popular video game franchises, including Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
One of its double features showcased this season is centered around one of the most popular movie franchises of all time.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
The Padres do not compete against local NFL, NBA or NHL franchises for fans.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Winning franchises differentiate themselves through shrewd drafting on the margins.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
NBCUniversal, like other Big Four network parent companies, is experimenting to find the optimal ways to cross-promote and cross-pollinate its biggest franchises across the NBC broadcast mothership and Peacock’s younger-skewing audience.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
For the first time since 1948, the NFL Draft is being held in Pittsburgh, hometown of the Steelers, one of the league's most iconic and winningest franchises.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
So much for the complaints raised last summer about the PWHL’s expansion process favoring the league’s newest franchises in Seattle and Vancouver.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
Nintendo’s latest console offers access to some of the most popular video game franchises, including Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
One of its double features showcased this season is centered around one of the most popular movie franchises of all time.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
The Padres do not compete against local NFL, NBA or NHL franchises for fans.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Winning franchises differentiate themselves through shrewd drafting on the margins.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
NBCUniversal, like other Big Four network parent companies, is experimenting to find the optimal ways to cross-promote and cross-pollinate its biggest franchises across the NBC broadcast mothership and Peacock’s younger-skewing audience.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
For the first time since 1948, the NFL Draft is being held in Pittsburgh, hometown of the Steelers, one of the league's most iconic and winningest franchises.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Franchises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/franchises. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
