recruit

verb
re·​cruit | \ ri-ˈkrüt How to pronounce recruit (audio) \
recruited; recruiting; recruits

Definition of recruit

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a(1) : to fill up the number of with new members : reinforce recruit an army
(2) : to enlist as a member of an armed service
b : to increase or maintain the number of America recruited her population from Europe
c : to secure the services of : engage, hire
d : to seek to enroll recruit prospective students
2 : replenish
3 : to restore or increase the health, vigor, or intensity of

intransitive verb

: to enlist new members

recruit

noun

Definition of recruit (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a fresh or additional supply
2 : a newcomer to a field or activity specifically : a newly enlisted or drafted member of the armed forces
3 : a former enlisted man of the lowest rank in the army

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Other Words from recruit

Verb

recruiter noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for recruit

Synonyms: Verb

assume, employ, engage, fee [chiefly Scottish], hire, lay on [chiefly British], pay, place, retain, sign (up or on), take on

Synonyms: Noun

abecedarian, apprentice, babe, beginner, colt, cub, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, newbie, newcomer, novice, novitiate, punk, rook, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro, virgin

Antonyms: Verb

ax (or axe), can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

Antonyms: Noun

old hand, old-timer, vet, veteran

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Examples of recruit in a Sentence

Verb

He was recruited by the army after high school. Public schools are recruiting new teachers. College football coaches spend a lot of time recruiting high school athletes. College football coaches spend a lot of time recruiting. Some parents don't think the military should be recruiting from high schools. We recruited a crew of volunteers to help us. I recruited my brother to drive us to the concert. She recruited four friends to distribute food to the homeless with her.

Noun

the newest recruit on the team She's one of the department's new recruits.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

While one of the more touted quarterback recruits in program history, Mertz won't sail past the competition — Coan started four games last season and has enough talent to serve as a potential stopgap while Mertz gets up to speed. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "The 10 biggest quarterback competitions in college football during fall camp," 6 Aug. 2019 Butler’s rise during the 2000s was never predicated on recruiting rankings. David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "Latest commit puts Butler on path to its highest-rated recruiting class ever," 5 Aug. 2019 The announcement was another blow to USC’s recruiting efforts in the 2020 class. Los Angeles Times, "Upland’s Justin Flowe is the latest top-level recruit to snub USC," 3 Aug. 2019 As the lieutenant running the department’s recruiting campaign, Tavares has worked to attract more black, Hispanic, Asian and female candidates to take the police exam. Mikala Kane, courant.com, "Good news this week: France honors World War II veterans from Connecticut, and a Glastonbury K-9 makes her first drug arrest," 2 Aug. 2019 Another Ohio State recruit is gone in defensive end Noah Potter. Matt Goul, cleveland.com, "Steve Trivisonno, Mentor take one more shot: 2019 football camp tour," 2 Aug. 2019 Even with a pair of top-three recruiting classes on campus, that’s a tall task. Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, "Texas Longhorns: 5 things to watch," 1 Aug. 2019 At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, Moretti was one of the top offensive line recruits in the country for the 2017 class. Brian Howell, The Denver Post, "Colorado Buffaloes OL Jake Moretti to medically retire," 1 Aug. 2019 The 2020 college football recruiting cycle still has more than four months remaining before high school prospects can put pen to paper, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to worry about the state of some programs. oregonlive.com, "Rivals national expert: Are USC Trojans reaching on recruiting trail?," 1 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That’s the recruiting promise that has kept the recruits flowing into Tuscaloosa. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, "Making Nick Saban and Alabama football great comes at painful cost," 21 Aug. 2019 While many recruits are eager to leave the nest, some notable Hoosiers over the years have stayed in town. Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana high school athletes who stayed home for college," 20 Aug. 2019 The best recruits coming out of college tended to go to the best teams or the teams with the most money. Rich Cohen, Harper's magazine, "The Wood Chipper," 19 Aug. 2019 The Northwestern recruit is a 6-foot-2 outside hitter and three-year varsity starter. Rich Mayor, chicagotribune.com, "Pioneer Press 2019 girls volleyball preview: West Suburban Silver," 17 Aug. 2019 The new recruit spent his first three nights in Syria in a factory on the outskirts of Aleppo, a city that was then divided between government and rebel forces. The Economist, "Confessions of an Islamic State fighter," 16 Aug. 2019 The 6-foot-3, 260-pound 3-star recruit was in shorts and wearing No. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "New Michigan State football DL Jalen Hunt 'exciting' late addition for Spartans," 12 Aug. 2019 When the recruits would do morning runs there were inevitably some who struggled. Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Meet Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl. He's the Elder grad and former Cincinnati Police Department official now in the national spotlight.," 6 Aug. 2019 Isaiah Ihnen, the top recruit in the U’s 2019 class, didn’t score on three shots. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Behind Alihan Demir, Gophers men’s basketball beats Italian club Stella Azzurra," 6 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recruit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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