range 1 of 2

1
as in pasture
open land over which livestock may roam and feed knew exactly how many head of cattle were turned out on the range that morning to graze

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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3
as in spectrum
the distance or extent between possible extremes an actor who can go through the full range of emotion, from joy to sorrow, in mere minutes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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5
as in line
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another from the air, the mountain range stretched as far as we could see in both directions

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6
as in stove
an appliance that prepares food for consumption by heating it the high-end appliances include a professional-quality gas range

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as in habitat
the place where a plant or animal is usually or naturally found the American robin's winter range has steadily extended farther and farther north

Synonyms & Similar Words

range

2 of 2

verb

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as in to vary
to occur within a continuous range of variation the color of Florida grapefruit can range anywhere from pale pink to ruby red

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun range differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of range are compass, gamut, orbit, scope, and sweep. While all these words mean "the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control)," range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

the entire range of human experience

When might compass be a better fit than range?

Although the words compass and range have much in common, compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

When could gamut be used to replace range?

While the synonyms gamut and range are close in meaning, gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

Where would orbit be a reasonable alternative to range?

The meanings of orbit and range largely overlap; however, orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

When is scope a more appropriate choice than range?

While in some cases nearly identical to range, scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

When is it sensible to use sweep instead of range?

The synonyms sweep and range are sometimes interchangeable, but sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

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 range
Noun
Periods of mourning range from three days (Chile, Dominican Republic, Lebanon and Spain) up to nine days, which is the traditional period of mourning at the Vatican, known as Novemdiales, during which daily masses and ceremonies are being held in memory of the pope. Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025 Ackman’s 10% is at the high end of a range of used car price increase estimates. Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
More than 490,000 other Powerball tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $4 to $150,000, the lottery said. Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025 Cases have ranged from high-profile instances involving alleged support of terror organizations to relatively minor offenses, like years-old misdemeanors. Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for range
Recent Examples of Synonyms for range
Noun
  • The aristocratic matron in question, Lady Hemphill, would often accompany her husband to the Huston estate, located in the rugged pastures and boglands of County Galway, for dinner parties and hunting expeditions.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
  • It will have been born the previous spring having enjoyed a longer and happier life outdoors, feeding on nutritious summer pasture.
    Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Last year, for example, the mission team shifted the scope into one-gyro mode after yet another of the devices failed.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • This identifies patterns in scope, team composition, timelines and customer feedback to reveal success or failure predictors.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • On one end of the spectrum, institutional investors are dismayed at the company’s pullback from its ambitious climate targets.
    Justin Worland, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
  • On the other end of the spectrum, those who majored in education earn less than a 6% median ROI.
    Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the meantime, the operator said it’s making progress on its remediation plan, including analysis of other areas and additional in-line inspections.
    Joe Sutton, CNN, 10 Feb. 2023
  • The goal of this relationship is to save you time, trouble, and money down the line.
    Brady Slack, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • The scallops sizzle in a hot carbon-steel skillet on the stove, and Kolender transfers the pan to the high-heat broiler.
    Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
  • In a small pot, cover the garlic with the oil. 2: Bring to a low boil on the stove, then decrease the heat to very low to maintain a bare simmer.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Sea lions suffering from domoic acid poisoning have been observed exiting their habitat and moving toward urban areas, such as freeways, due to the toxins' effect on the brain, Smith said.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2025
  • If all goes according to plan, future low-Earth orbit space stations could feature their inflatable LIFE habitats shielded from any pesky cosmic debris.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The curriculum guides middle school students and teachers through building and evaluating computer vision models that can reliably classify fossil shark teeth.
    Christine Wusylko, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Kathleen Kelley Reardon, an expert on organizational politics, classifies political environments from minimally to pathologically politicized.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The dogs were reported by passersby who alerted the KC Pet Project that dogs appeared to be dumped and roaming the area.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The other two dogs, who were able to roam the property, were found alive and taken into care.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Range.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/range. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

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