TRAIN Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'train' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of train are discipline , educate , instruct , school , and teach . While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view. // trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

Q: When is 'discipline' a more appropriate choice than 'train'?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision. // a disciplined mind

Q: When could 'educate' be used to replace 'train'?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind. // more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

Q: When is it sensible to use 'instruct' instead of 'train'?

The synonyms instruct and train are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching. // instructs raw recruits in military drill

Q: Where would 'school' be a reasonable alternative to 'train'?

While in some cases nearly identical to train , school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master. // schooled the horse in five gaits

Q: When might 'teach' be a better fit than 'train'?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn. // taught us a lot about our planet

train 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrān

Definition of train next

as in entourage

a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a movie star who never goes anywhere without a train of personal assistants to cater to his every whim and need

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in fleet

a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a train of supply trucks making its way to the army encampment

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in queue

a series of persons or things arranged one behind another already a long train of ticket buyers waiting outside the stadium

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as in sequence

a series of things linked together you've broken my train of thought—now what were we talking about?

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train

2 of 2

verb

as in to prepare

to bring to a proper or desired state of fitness has been training track-and-field athletes at the school for years

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

decondition

as in to teach

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field will train the students in good study habits

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to focus

to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective train all your thoughts on imagining how you'd score the winning goal in the game

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as in to aim

to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal trained his eyes on the distant bull's-eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to equip

to make competent (as by training, skill, or ability) for a particular office or function he's so experienced that they usually use him to train new recruits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of train are discipline, educate, instruct, school, and teach. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than train?

While the synonyms discipline and train are close in meaning, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When could educate be used to replace train?

In some situations, the words educate and train are roughly equivalent. However, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When is it sensible to use instruct instead of train?

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

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would school be a reasonable alternative to train?

While in some cases nearly identical to train, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When might teach be a better fit than train?

Although the words teach and train have much in common, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

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 train

Noun

Transportation officials shut down all Amtrak and Metrolink trains between San Diego and San Luis Obispo for pre-scheduled work on the tracks through the weekend. —

Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025 Police arrested Gao at a train station in the German city of Essen and – soon afterward – released him. —

Frank Langfitt, NPR, 11 Jan. 2025

Verb

Even though self-driving Teslas have been involved in many crashes, there's some comfort in knowing that its system is training on real-world data and human drivers rather than an AI simulation. —

Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025 There are only a few units in the United States specially trained for this type of policing. —

Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for train

Recent Examples of Synonyms for train

Noun

According to Xzibit, the gunman — a member of Terror Squad’s entourage — discarded the firearm.

Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Trump led his entourage out of the courtroom, huddled for a moment with his lawyers, and then turned to address the cameras awaiting his reaction.

Graham Kates, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025