1
as in senses
to have a vague awareness of
I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in notices
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
perceived that it was going to be a nice day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in understands
to have a clear idea of
I perceive your point, but I still disagree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perceives
Dispute creates major anxiety What started out as a social media post on Saturday by Miller’s wife over the weekend quickly turned into something that Denmark now perceives as a real threat.
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Stefanie Dazio, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
What started out as a social media post on Saturday by Miller’s wife over the weekend quickly turned into something that Denmark now perceives as a real threat.
—Claudia Ciobanu, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Standing to the right, the viewer perceives this phantasmic figure underneath their reflection, a disturbing Other, a double.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Here, Thoreau perceives the connection between the division of labor and its alienation from intellectual thought and natural processes that would become increasingly common features of working life in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
Binaural Beats Binaural beats, which are becoming increasingly popular online, are songs that feed tones of different frequencies into each ear; the brain then fills in the blank and perceives a third tone, which is thought to elicit calm and brain wave activity.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Dec. 2025
But the trial and error is being educated on how the audience perceives you.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
The rest of the symptoms can often be traced to other ingredients in wheat – especially fructans, a type of fermentable carbohydrate in the FODMAP family – or to the brain’s powerful influence on how the gut perceives distress.
—New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025
Like other political leaders with an exaggerated sense of their own importance, Netanyahu perceives himself as indispensable, and his leadership as the only thing standing between his country and catastrophe.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perceives
Verb
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Sandeep Vaheesan, the legal director at the Open Markets Institute, senses similar changes—but welcomes them.—
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Her character, Zosia, may have had to honor Carol Sturka’s (Rhea Seehorn) request for an atom bomb, but based on their parting glance, Wydra still senses some indecision from Carol about this manner of escalation.—
Verb
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Later, after showing Joe how to work the Jet Ski crane, Nathan gets hit in the face by the hook — at the same time that Max notices that another Jet Ski has floated away and runs to get it.—
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Baer also notices her clients gravitate toward pieces that feel human and grounded.—
Verb
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Despite his layered duplicity, Jonathan understands and defines himself by courting risk.—
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Plummer understands Nix is in a difficult spot.—
Verb
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No matter where his work takes him, that foundation always feels like home.—
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This combo of a fuzzy faux fur jacket and brown satin pants feels like the perfect ensemble for a winter wedding.—
Verb
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Every time a customer pays with a credit card, 2 to 4 percent of that sale is siphoned off before a business ever sees the money.—
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Qu said the company sees it as a hobby-grade product aimed at users who want a closer approximation of real piloting.—
Verb
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The organizers pledged to continue the campaign throughout awards season to ensure the public knows the names of Good and others killed by ICE agents in shootings.—
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Amal Clooney knows all about dressing for the occasion.—
Verb
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Joe is plagued with visions of his dead father during his therapy sessions and hears disembodied voices whispering while hanging out with friends.—
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MacLeod said many of the complaints his organization hears are like the Johnsons’ and involve third-party utility billing companies hired by landlords.—
Verb
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However, if the governing body eyes a group of six or seven, Aledo could stay with the Dallas-Fort Worth teams, as the Bearcats are farther east than Weatherford and Granbury.—
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For the Colts, the injury is a massive loss as the team eyes a playoff spot.—
Cite this Entry
“Perceives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perceives. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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