LACES Synonyms: 244 Similar and Opposite Words

laces 1 of 2

noun

plural of lace

as in wires

a length of braided, flexible material that is used for tying or connecting things I had to replace the lace of my shoe because it kept breaking whenever I pulled the knot too tight

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as in braids

a length of something formed of three or more strands woven together there will be gold lace decorating both sleeves of the new uniform

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laces

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lace

as in weaves

to cause to twine about one another the gardener laced the shoots of ivy around the trellis to direct their growth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inserts

to scatter or set here and there among other things the decorator laced small mirrors among the knickknacks for added effect

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as in licks

to strike repeatedly laced the seaman's back with the cat-o'-nine-tails

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as in spices

to make more pleasant to the taste by adding something intensely flavored a savory dish laced with saffron and ginger

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as in loads

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances animal control fed the bear food laced with a sedative

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 laces

Noun

The heel of the shoe and its tongue tag also feature co-branding with Nigo and j-hope’s names on them and, instead of standard cotton laces, the sneakers have braided, multicolor ropes that pick up on the overall color scheme. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026 Double-laces make another appearance, this time in brown and off-white. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026 Trainers hung by their laces from telephone lines and a man with a heavily bandaged hand was eating peri-peri chicken outside the overground station. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 Animal prints, bright colors, unique laces, and floral accents have been splattered across the shoe. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026 Similar to ballerina sneakers that Nicole Kidman has worn but with a more posh feel, jazz shoes have a slim silhouette, delicate laces, and low heels that keep them feeling lighter than sneakers. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026 Those cleats — with the red Nike swoosh and white outline, the bright red laces and a strange cuff at the back, leaning right against his Achilles — were on the Falcons defensive back’s feet for the worst day of his life. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026 The combination of the lace trim and ribbon laces adds up to a unique vibe, and each one of the four non-boring neutral color options is beautiful. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026 These sandals are also easy to slip on and off in a moment, thanks to the bungee laces. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Verb

When Molly holds out her empty hand, Yvette stares at it, then shoves her dustpan under one arm, laces her fingers through Molly’s. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 Off-duty, Styles often laces up Adidas sneakers. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 May 2026 Just a little farther up the lakeshore, co-owner Yasuaki Saito’s new spot laces its breakfast menu with Japanese ingredients and Americana swagger. — Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 2026 Still, twice a week, Isai laces up her sneakers and plays pickup at a local gym. — Eden Laase, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2026 Paige is little more than a dumb blonde stereotype, another underwritten female character in Sheridan’s growing oeuvre, but Chapman laces her babyish whining with surprising bite, while showing a knack for physical comedy. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2026 Produced by Nyal, the track laces Duque’s suave vocals and Hamilton’s sugary tones on sensual and chill Afrobeats melody. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026 For The Union-Tribune On most weekends of the year, Joe Mullins laces up his running shoes and races a 5K in San Diego. — Eleanor Yang Su, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025 The skate laces Kirill Kaprizov untied following the Minnesota Wild’s morning skate on Friday were white. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laces

Noun

The counterpoints to the pre-camp pieces are those made within the camp wires, both by adults and children.

— Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
The problem is when the self-importance of festival political activism crosses wires with these horror nerds.

— Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of wires

Noun

The exterior of the sculpture is adorned with synthetic braids, a fundamental material with Peacock, for whom braiding is a metaphor for relation, an embrace, irreducible intimacy.

— Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Her beauty look, with gleaming skin and braids pulled back neatly, was similarly unfussy.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of braids

Verb

The village's pedestrian-only strip weaves through small shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and there's a Naval Museum housed in a 19th-century captain’s mansion that highlights the island’s maritime history—and is worth a visit.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
In the park, the designers combined four species of flowers with broken pieces of local pottery to form a polychromatic mosaic that weaves together vegetation and craft.

— Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaves

Verb

When introduced into another cell, the gene produces a protein that inserts into the cell membrane.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
What should be a relaxing weekend quickly veers off course as Chuck inserts himself into the group and tests the limits of their patience.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of inserts

Verb

That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of licks

Verb

Plaintiff Burlap & Barrel, for example, sources spices from across the globe, including from countries like Vietnam, Guatemala, Tanzania, Turkey and France—all of which have very different economies and workforce conditions.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
The design detail spices up standard summer uniforms by adding texture and a more exciting, intentional feel to, say, a denim-shorts-and-white-T-shirt look.

— Irene Richardson, InStyle, 13 June 2026

Definition of spices

Verb

These improvements are intended to help military forces transport larger loads more efficiently and support operational demands across a range of environments.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
When your site loads quickly, visitors may stay longer, browse more and be more likely to convert.

— Anthony Savino, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of loads

Noun

This past spring, Russian submarines were caught near Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, testing a new weapon designed to disable undersea cables without detection.

— Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
This ultra-slim portable charger will snap magnetically onto compatible iPhones, giving you the easiest way to charge your phone without power banks or cables.

— Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026