stages 1 of 2

Definition of stagesnext
plural of stage
1
as in podiums
a level usually raised surface spoke to the audience from a small stage in front

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in legs
a portion of a trip this is only the first stage of the journey

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

stages

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stage

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 stages
Noun
So, Friday is what mattered in the moment, for a short-handed team in the early stages of a potentially months-long postseason march. Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026 The draft proposal is still in its early stages. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026 The past few weeks of talks in the Egyptian capital have begun to look like the opening stages in a longer set of discussions, people close to the negotiations said, rather than an imminent source of relief for people in Gaza. Matt Bradley, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026 Vertical touted the dramatic locations, 12,500 extras, and abundant horses and camels made available with substantial support from Neom, the massive Saudi development with sound stages and infrastructure created by the film’s backer MBC Studios. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026 The sources stressed that the talks are in very early stages and there is no guarantee that a deal will take place. Jem Aswad, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026 His work is still in its early stages, but it can be used to further explore interactions between light and gravitational fields. Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026 General admission includes unlimited tastes and sips from all vendors, live music on multiple stages, two 360 photo booths and attended luxury trailer restrooms. Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026 The robots are in their early stages of development. Alyssa Andrews, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Harlin stages the shark attacks in an overt here-ya-go way, with the one consistent suspense issue being whether the shark will consume a victim whole or bite off his or her limb or simply leave them with a nasty gash (which happens quite often). Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026 The biggest indie music fest in Colorado returns this weekend with the FoCoMX, which packs a whopping 450-plus live performances onto 40 downtown Fort Collins stages on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25. John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 Her work stages dialogues between contemporary and historical narratives through a distinctly dark, interdisciplinary lens. George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026 Across town, drummer/impresario Mike Reed stages a tribute of his own to the city’s avant-garde, delving into everything from AACM bassist Fred Hopkins’ oeuvre to music composed in Chicago between 1980 and 2010. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 In the film, a modern-day young female director, Mariana, played by Ioana Iacob, stages a reënactment of the massacre at a square in Bucharest. Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 The film centers on a teenage girl who stages a musical to confront the aftermath of a school tragedy. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026 This is where the city stages its daily open-air show — street artists sketching portraits, fortune-tellers shuffling cards and musicians playing for appreciative crowds. Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026 Beijing has been ramping up its military pressure against the island by sending warplanes and naval vessels near it almost daily, while its military occasionally stages live-fire drills around the island, the latest in December. E. Eduardo Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stages
Noun
  • While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • First World Cup podiums Diggins made her first podium in January 2012, midway through her first full season on the World Cup tour, a second-place finish in team sprint with Randall.
    Zack Pierce, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Over the course of two semi-final first legs, VAR’s conviction has been less than convincing.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The second legs are next Thursday and the final is in Istanbul on May 20.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • And the ability to do that is big business, especially for pharmaceutical companies who can lose billions of dollars when new drugs have made it through many phases of development only to be thwarted by a late-stage mutation or resistance.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • K-pop’s relationship with luxury fashion has moved through distinct phases over the last decade — first as ambassadorship deals, then as front-row staples at Paris and Milan, and now into the institutional core of the fashion calendar.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That arrangement will stay in place until the judge offers his recommendation on parent time on or before May 11.
    Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 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
Noun
  • My husband has a large following on social media platforms due to his former career.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Significantly, both the ESPN and Roku deals preserve The CW’s right to sell ad time on those platforms.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Heading into the Miami Grand Prix, which consists of 57 laps around the track, and features 12 left-hand turns and seven right-hand turns, Antonelli leads the F1 Drivers' Championship with 72 points, followed closely by Mercedes teammate George Russell with 63 points.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
  • The terrain runs from family-friendly cruiser laps at Sugarbush to Jay Peak’s legendary tree skiing in the Northeast Kingdom, where lake-effect snow rolls in off Quebec.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In the following chapters of Quand j’étais photographe, Nadar plays on the rhetorical and material slipperiness of invention to craft a curious portrait of photography’s first fifty-odd years.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • At the organization’s peak, Republicans touted Wide Awake chapters in each county of every Northern state, with membership growing to more than 500,000 recruits.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The indictment presents Sheinbaum with one of her biggest challenges yet.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • West Valley Warner Center Chamber of Commerce Community Benefit Foundation presents the event.
    Holly Andres, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stages. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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