as in cosmopolitan
a person with the outlook, experience, and manners thought to be typical of big city dwellers
sophisticates laughing at people they thought of as hicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complex
to make complex or difficult
there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sophisticate
Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Logistically accelerating techno-economic interactivity crumbles social order in auto-sophisticating machine runaway.
—James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sophisticate
Noun
Despite parents’ efforts, allowances aren’t necessarily minting a new generation of financial sophisticates.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Aritzia Generation Crepette Blazer is effortlessly sophisticated, with an oversized yet slim silhouette that can be dressed up or down.
—Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Logistically accelerating techno-economic interactivity crumbles social order in auto-sophisticating machine runaway.
—James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sophisticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophisticate
Noun
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There's a matinee for students and daytime explorers and a Saturday night outing for date-night cosmopolitans.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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In that series, Michelle Pfeiffer’s cosmopolitan Stacy Clyburn learns to embrace the American West after a tragedy forces her to leave New York City for the Madison River Valley in central Montana.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conservatives advocating for a colorblind interpretation are cheering the decision, but liberal critics maintain this decision will dilute Black and Hispanic representation in Congress.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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In 2023, a federal judge found that Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps illegally diluted Black voting strength and ordered lawmakers to draw additional majority-Black districts.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Those plans were derailed after the war triggered a spike in jet fuel prices, upending Spirit's cost projections and complicating its exit from bankruptcy.—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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The administration has signaled that proposals from Tehran have gotten incrementally better as the negotiations have dragged on, but that disorganization of leadership has complicated the process.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
1 May 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wednesday’s game, in particular, ended in extremely bizarre fashion with Xavier Edwards turning an unusual unassisted double play with the bases loaded and Freddie Freeman at the plate.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Patriots blew the game open with a six-run fifth, including an RBI single from Lindsay and one walk and one hit batter with the bases loaded to push across runs.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Who cares about the fact that her friend cheated when her child was poisoned by her husband and her father?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
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Kuroda admitted to using chloroform, paraformaldehyde (PFA), and Trizol to poison his co-worker's water bottle and shoes, according to a Dane County Court criminal complaint.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By thinning crowded seedlings, giving roots room to grow, and easing plants gradually into outdoor conditions, gardeners can help reduce stress and build resilience.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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Add to that the forests in the East are denser and less likely to be thinned out than those in the West, Donovan said.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, Bass has proposed cutting entirely the Animal Services Department’s annual budget for food, which was $200,000 last year, and also slashing the medical supplies budget to $49,000, from $388,000 last year.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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But now that the post-pandemic boom has well and truly gone bust, just showing up with a great looking timepiece isn’t going to cut it.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sophisticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticate. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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