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garnish

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word garnish different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of garnish are adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

Where would adorn be a reasonable alternative to garnish?

In some situations, the words adorn and garnish are roughly equivalent. However, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of garnish?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When can deck be used instead of garnish?

The synonyms deck and garnish are sometimes interchangeable, but deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When is decorate a more appropriate choice than garnish?

While in some cases nearly identical to garnish, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is it sensible to use embellish instead of garnish?

The words embellish and garnish can be used in similar contexts, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of garnish?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

Examples 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 garnish
Noun
Even the garnish adds to what Martinez describes as the queerness of the dish. Reia Li, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2024 How To Make Butternut Squash Chips Simply roast the squash skin on its own or with olive oil and salt to create a chip-like garnish, suggests Shore. Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2024
Verb
Playoff Spritz at Comerica Landing Aperol, cranberry juice and fresh cranberries, garnished with an orange twist in a souvenir ALDS cup. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Oct. 2024 This means the government can garnish wages (without a court order) to go toward paying back the loan, intercept tax refunds, and seize portions of Social Security checks and other benefit payments. Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for garnish 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garnish
Noun
  • The carousel then featured shots of Khai with some friends, as well as Halloween decorations, pumpkin decorating, Hadid’s skeleton costume and a snap of Khai trick or treating.
    Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • While another golden retriever, Banks, went viral when his owner shared a fairly long list of the things that frighten him, including tarps, frogs, boxes, Halloween decorations and even feather dusters.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Every Christmas, the family decorated a tree with apples, as was the German custom.
    Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Painted, decorated, or however adorned, designers see walls as an opportunity for making a statement that will set the tone for the room.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • This level of ornamentation is typical of Art Deco architecture.
    Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Coffins, which were first invented as simple stone structures decorated in feathers and shells during the Stone Age, have become increasingly elaborate with custom ornamentation, lid carvings, and moldings over time.
    Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • The spaniel, adorned with a glittering crown, was filmed comfortably seated at the table, clearly part of the community and cherished by all.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The recently re-designed Great Hall of the Lodge, which offers sweeping views of the golf course, is adorned by large-scale cowhide quilts by Kyle Bunting that utilize patterns traditional to Appalachia that have been passed down through generations of women.
    Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Best Gift for Moms Lismore Christmas Bauble Ornament $200.00 Buy Now Lismore, the most iconic and distinguished of the Waterford patterns, is carefully cut into this crystal bauble ornament.
    Chloe Castleberry, StyleCaster, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The in-house Wondershop brand offers cohesive accessories, so your home can have coordinated, cozy cheer — including trees, garlands, ornaments, toppers, and tree skirts.
    Olivia Avitt, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Notices to lien or levy accounts, for example, are time-sensitive, and requiring long wait times can put taxpayers at risk of wage or account garnishment.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
  • Likewise, where the debtor's wages are involved, a creditor may garnish those wages by having a writ of garnishment served upon the employer and then the non-exempt amount of the debtor's wages are then ultimately paid over to the creditor.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • One thing is for certain in all observing communities: The lively adornment of sacred spaces, including the home and one’s altar, is a big part of this celebration.
    Prinita Thevarajah, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Fabricated in 18-karat gold designs that evoke the splendors of Asian and Indian jewels as well as European adornments of old, this brand is alive with a large array of notably fine gemstones including diamonds, colored sapphires, pearls and tourmalines.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near garnish

Cite this Entry

“Garnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garnish. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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