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

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 teach Though Reacher sounds disappointed that Zachary Beck never taught his son to punch — my dad didn’t teach me, either! Chris Klimek, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025 My first combine has taught me a few things: The presence of almost every significant NFL figure, from owners to trainers and agents, far outweighs the importance of the prospects themselves, at least so far. Jacob Robinson, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025 Among the influencers in those meetings was Arturo Schomburg, a Puerto Rican historian of African descent who, as a young child, often wondered about the lack of African history taught in his classrooms, an interest that formed the cornerstone of his lifework of research and preservation. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for teach

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Cite this Entry

“Teach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teach. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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