number 1 of 2

1
as in digit
a character used to represent a mathematical value asked him to write out the equation in numbers, not letters

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2
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production a doomsday novel that turns out to be one of those it-was-all-a-dream numbers

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3
as in act
a performance regularly presented by an individual or group a modern dance number

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4
5
as in feat
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness a stunning gymnastics number that really impressed the judges

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6
as in calculation
numbers plural the act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value if you believe the president's numbers, we can afford these new programs and still have tax cuts

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number

2 of 2

verb

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 number
Noun
While the death toll has not matched the horrific numbers in the Texas Hill Country, which has seen its own historic flooding, several people have died in North Carolina, including two boaters on Jordan Lake, and an elderly woman whose car was swept away by floodwaters in Chatham County. Jessica Pishko, New Yorker, 15 July 2025 The lower the number, the brighter a planet or star will appear in the night sky. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
After submissions close, PEOPLE editors will select 10 furry finalists from all of the entries, which numbered in the thousands in 2024. Kelli Bender, People.com, 1 July 2025 In the meantime, multiple sources forecasted reduction in force notices this week that could number in the thousands, in line with the proposal Secretary of State Marco Rubio has submitted to Congress. Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for number
Recent Examples of Synonyms for number
Noun
  • The Giants led 8-2 heading into the sixth inning with Webb on the mound, which is typically the kind of win probability that comes in three digits instead of two.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • Walker rejected the committees’ effort to block that part of the law and turned down a request to block a requirement that petition gatherers register with the state and provide their names, addresses, phone numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
    Dara Kam, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • The songs are not so much compositions as elliptical confessions, murmured rather than declared.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
  • Microbiome composition: Revealing microbial imbalances that may drive disease.
    Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • The once-famous case of Ebenezer Smith Platt reminds us that widespread attention to acts of tyranny that violate foundational rights is critical to maintaining those rights.
    Time, Time, 9 July 2025
  • But certainly those acts got a little bit more attention, which probably did help them.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • We are used to viewing video-game protagonists as tireless ciphers.
    Simon Parkin, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
  • Second, between February and October 1942, the Germans changed the anatomy of their Enigma cipher machine, meaning the Allies were unable to decode the messages sent to and from U-boats.
    Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • That’s an impressive feat of engineering, to be sure.
    Mike Feibus, USA Today, 10 July 2025
  • The 82-year-old from Delray Beach hit the shot of a lifetime twice in the same round on Sunday at Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth, making his first-ever ace on the second hole before somehow pulling off the feat again on the ninth.
    Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • As wages tend to rise over time, each new group of retirees raises the average benefit amount, since their benefit calculations typically reflect higher earnings.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
  • In its most recent calculation for costs, the Congressional Budget Office said the legislation will add some $3.3 trillion to deficits over the next decade.
    Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • Senate Republicans argue that because the bill extends current tax law, those cuts shouldn't be counted.
    Jim Sergent, USA Today, 5 July 2025
  • However, police later clarified that there were eight victims total since some were counted twice.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • One Night in Idaho also features administrators of a Facebook group that aggregated details of the case, who flagged that someone under the username Papa Rodger posted numerous times about the crime, including questions about how the killer held the knife.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 11 July 2025
  • Teams that go above the second apron also can’t aggregate contracts or trade a first-round draft pick that’s seven years in the future.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Number.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/number. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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