1
as in to reimburse
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury
you'll have to compensate the neighbors for cutting down their tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
a mafioso thinking that he can compensate for the evil he's done by giving to charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compensate
Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025
Farmers and ranchers can also be compensated for tending to ecosystems in addition to growing food, buffering their income from the vagaries of extreme weather and trade wars.
—Emma Marris, The Atlantic, 25 May 2025
The emphasis on stunts seems to compensate for some personal insecurity that is irrelevant to a movie’s appeal.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
In 2007, Manhattan Beach’s first Black city council member championed renaming the beach to Bruce’s Beach, and in 2022, the descendants of the Bruces were compensated for the sale of the beach to Los Angeles County.
—Mariette Williams, Essence, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for compensate
Verb
In December, new rules from the Department of Transportation came into effect requiring airlines to have stricter standards for accommodating passengers with wheelchairs, as well as requiring airlines to compensate travelers for any damage to their wheelchairs.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025
Farmers and ranchers can also be compensated for tending to ecosystems in addition to growing food, buffering their income from the vagaries of extreme weather and trade wars.
—Emma Marris, The Atlantic, 25 May 2025
The emphasis on stunts seems to compensate for some personal insecurity that is irrelevant to a movie’s appeal.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
In 2007, Manhattan Beach’s first Black city council member championed renaming the beach to Bruce’s Beach, and in 2022, the descendants of the Bruces were compensated for the sale of the beach to Los Angeles County.
—Mariette Williams, Essence, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for compensate
Cite this Entry
“Compensate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compensate. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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