serves

Definition of servesnext
present tense third-person singular of serve
1
as in works (for)
to be a servant for he served his master faithfully for 20 years

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2
as in suffices
to be enough they made the pasta serve for eight guests

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3
as in does
to be fitting or proper those old riding boots will serve for now, but you'll need newer ones for the horse show

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4
5
as in acts
to have a certain purpose the harsh punishment served to teach everyone a lesson

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6
as in benefits
to provide with something useful or desirable an excellent college that served her with the skills necessary to make it in today's job market

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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 serves Memory, in this story and elsewhere, serves as a tool for healing and change; Allende herself found catharsis in the act of writing the book. Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 This complex of Mayan vestiges serves as a testament to the mysterious and unexplainable engineering feats of this ancient civilization. Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026 The board serves as legislative, executive and quasi-judicial roles. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026 The incident happened on April 11 outside the Whipple Federal Building, where a protest was taking place over a local ICE field office that also serves as a detention facility. Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 After reading about the road that led to his stardom, one is hit with the realization that Hall was more talented and groundbreaking than memory serves, and is an honest and compelling writer, in collaboration with Alan Eisenstock. Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 There’s a restaurant, Jalsa, which serves great Indian food. Anne Kadet, Curbed, 29 Apr. 2026 In addition to her role at BET, Lee founded Leading Women Defined and serves as co-founder of Monarch Collective, both orgs that are dedicated to mentoring, supporting and empowering women and members of the BIPOC community. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026 The plate serves as the structural interface between the ground and the main vessel, which contains the reactor core and steam generator. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serves
Verb
  • This is not a moment where simply modeling democratic and humanitarian principles by our own behavior suffices.
    Ernesto Burden, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
  • For some, the lower-tier MacBook Air suffices.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • That is exactly what this film cleverly does — pinpoints the insidious nature of far-right movements and the creeping rhetoric that has polluted our society.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Corey Scher is a postdoctoral researcher at the Conflict Ecology laboratory at Oregon State University, which does satellite monitoring in conflict zones.
    Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Regeneron's gene therapy Otarmeni treats a rare disease where a faulty OTOF gene limits production of a protein that transmits sound signals in the ear.
    Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Reaching more people Although Otarmeni treats mutations that make up about 1% to 3% of cases of genetic hearing loss at birth, doctors expect that the approval of the first gene therapy will spur more work and investment into the field, broadening treatment options in the future.
    Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Blue Line is an area spanning 120 kilometers (around 75 miles) along southern Lebanon that acts as a de-facto border between the two countries.
    Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The system acts as an agent, building investment screens and producing full research reports, including sophisticated financial modeling and bull and bear cases for a particular stocks, on the fly.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Cap Social Security benefits A final proposal calls for capping the total Social Security benefit retirees can draw in a year.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
  • This specifically benefits murderers and rapists, the officials said, and implies that parole is automatic, not something earned.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Missy, who attends Spot’s Place five days a week, was not scheduled that Monday because of a vet appointment.
    Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Missy, who attends Spot’s Place in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Monday through Friday, dug her way out of her backyard and traveled to the daycare on her own after she wasn’t scheduled that day.
    Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The office also handles business registrations, oversees the state archives and runs a potpourri of other state programs, like commissioning notaries public and maintaining a registry for advance care directives.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
  • While porcelain is very durable and handles baking soda well, Murphy notes that acrylic and fiberglass scratch easily.
    Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That system functions best when those requiring protection are dispersed.
    Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
  • This big-hearted gesture is part of the ethos of The Wiener’s Circle, a Chicago institution that functions as both hot dog stand and local landmark.
    Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Serves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serves. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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