teach

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of teach are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When can discipline be used instead of teach?

The meanings of discipline and teach largely overlap; however, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When is educate a more appropriate choice than teach?

While the synonyms educate and teach are close in meaning, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When could instruct be used to replace teach?

The synonyms instruct and teach are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to teach?

In some situations, the words school and teach are roughly equivalent. However, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is it sensible to use train instead of teach?

The words train and teach are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

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 teach Read: How Stephen King teaches writing To Name the Bigger Lie, by Sarah Viren At first, To Name the Bigger Lie seems like a straightforward coming-of-age story. Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024 Being asked to teach the new supervisors on how to do their jobs is soul crushing. R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024 These strategies are now unremarkable enough to be taught to kids in schools. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2024 Ernesto Norman/Unsplash A baby’s first flight to meet family in Mexico Elizabeth Roddy works in product marketing for a health care company and teaches art history on the side. Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for teach 

Thesaurus Entries Near teach

Cite this Entry

“Teach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teach. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on teach

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