enlisted; enlisting; enlists
1
a
: to secure the support and aid of : employ in advancing an interest
enlist all the available resources
enlisted our help
b
: to win over : attract
trying to enlist my sympathies
2
: to engage (a person) for duty in the armed forces
1
: to enroll oneself in the armed forces
will enlist for three years
2
: to participate heartily (as in a cause, drive, or crusade)
Synonyms
Examples of enlist in a Sentence
They're enlisting volunteers for an experiment.
We enlisted all available resources.
I enlisted the help of our neighbors.
We enlisted the services of a professional.
They enlisted several new recruits.
After graduating, I enlisted in the navy.
He enlisted in the cause of world peace.
Recent Examples on the Web
From ancient Greece to medieval Europe, infertile men enlisted lovers for their wives in order to continue their lineage.
—
Brooke Scelza, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024
Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz star alongside Spanish trans actress Karla Sofia Gascón in the genre-jumping feature about a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) who enlists the help of a lawyer (Saldaña) to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Sep. 2024
The Season 1 finale featured a one-year time jump, at which point Will’s fiancée Jenna enlisted Sylvia to be their wedding planner.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2024
The stylist enlisted a slew of Fekkai’s shine-boosting hair products, including the cult-favorite Brilliant Glossing Styling Crème that just relaunched last week.
—Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlist 
Brooke Scelza, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024
Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz star alongside Spanish trans actress Karla Sofia Gascón in the genre-jumping feature about a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) who enlists the help of a lawyer (Saldaña) to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Sep. 2024
The Season 1 finale featured a one-year time jump, at which point Will’s fiancée Jenna enlisted Sylvia to be their wedding planner.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2024
The stylist enlisted a slew of Fekkai’s shine-boosting hair products, including the cult-favorite Brilliant Glossing Styling Crème that just relaunched last week.
—Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enlist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enlist
Cite this Entry
“Enlist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlist. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enlist
verb
en·list
in-ˈlist 
1
a
: to enroll for military or naval service
especially
: to join one of the armed services voluntarily
b
: to participate heartily (as in a cause or drive)
2
: to obtain the help or support of
enlisted their friends in the campaign
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share