Merge
verb / noun Base: merge | Past: merged | Past Participle: merged | -ing: merging | 3rd person: merges
Definition
1. Combine or join together to become one.
2. Join to form a larger company or organization.
3. Join a line of moving traffic smoothly.
4. Blend together so individual things become hard to tell apart.
2. Join to form a larger company or organization.
3. Join a line of moving traffic smoothly.
4. Blend together so individual things become hard to tell apart.
Context Alive
The two small roads ran side by side for about a mile. Then they gradually merged into a single wide highway, and the traffic from both directions started flowing together smoothly as if it had always been one road.
Meanings
4 meanings 1 Combine or Join Together (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about two or more things becoming one. Imagine two rivers flowing toward each other and eventually merging into a single, wider river that continues downstream. This is merging — combining into one. You might merge two documents into one file, or someone could merge different ideas into a single plan. Or picture a school that merges two small classes into one bigger group because there aren’t enough students. The word suggests a smooth, natural joining. ✏️ Unlike “mix,” merge means the separate things lose their individual identity — they become one new thing.
Vivid ExampleThe project had two separate teams working on different parts. The manager decided to merge them into one team to improve communication, and within a week, everyone was collaborating much more effectively.
2 Join to Form a Larger Company (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about businesses combining into one organization. Imagine two competing phone companies that decide to merge into one giant corporation, sharing resources and customers. This is merging in a business context — becoming one company. You might hear “the two banks merged last year” or someone could say “they’re planning to merge with their biggest rival.” Or think about two small startups that merge because together they can compete with bigger companies. The word carries a sense of strategic growth. ✏️ The noun form “merger” is very common in business — “the merger was approved by the board.”
Vivid ExampleThe two airlines had been struggling financially for years. When they finally merged into a single company, they cut costs dramatically and became one of the largest carriers in the region.
3 Join a Line of Moving Traffic (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about entering a flow of traffic without stopping or causing problems. Imagine you’re driving on a ramp and you need to merge onto a busy highway, matching the speed of other cars and sliding into the lane smoothly. This is merging — joining moving traffic. You might say “merge left at the end of this road” or someone could warn you “careful, you need to merge here.” Or picture a construction zone where two lanes merge into one and drivers take turns. The word suggests smooth, careful movement. ✏️ You’ll often see road signs saying “MERGE” or “lanes merging ahead” — it’s a warning to adjust your speed.
Vivid ExampleThe driving instructor watched nervously from the passenger seat. The student checked her mirrors, sped up, and merged onto the highway perfectly, fitting right into the flow of traffic without anyone having to brake.
4 Blend Together Until Hard to Tell Apart (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about things blending so gradually that boundaries disappear. Imagine standing on a beach at sunset and watching the sea and sky merge at the horizon, the colors blending so softly you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. This is merging — losing separate identities. You might say “the colors merge beautifully in this painting” or someone could describe how “day slowly merged into night.” Or picture walking through fog where the buildings merge into grey shapes around you. The word suggests a gentle, gradual blending. ✏️ This is more poetic than meaning 1 — it focuses on the visual or emotional effect of things becoming one.
Vivid ExampleShe sat on the hill as the sun went down. The warm orange sky slowly merged into deep purple, and the whole landscape seemed to soften into one peaceful, blurred scene around her.
Examples from the Street
“The two companies are planning to merge next year.”
The two businesses intend to combine into a single organisation
“Merge into the left lane — our exit’s coming up.”
Move over and join the traffic in the left lane — we need to get off soon
“At sunset, the sky and the ocean just merge together.”
When the sun goes down, the sky and sea blend so completely you can’t tell them apart
Common Patterns
merge with [something] → combine with another entity to form one
merge [A] with/and [B] → bring two things together into one
merge into [something] → become part of a larger whole
merge together → join to form a single unit
plan/agree/decide to merge → common in business and organisational contexts
[things] merge seamlessly/smoothly → blend so well you can’t see the join
merge into one → gradually become indistinguishable
colours/sounds/styles merge → different elements blend together naturally
where [A] merges with [B] → describing the point where two things meet and blend
merge into traffic/a lane → join a flow of moving vehicles
lanes merge → two lanes become one
merge left/right → move into the adjacent lane
merge ahead → sign warning that lanes will combine soon
Collocations
3 collocationsmerge with
combine with another entity
merge lanes
two traffic lanes joining into one
merge into one
combine multiple things into a single entity
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
The bank announced it would merge with its biggest rival to create the largest financial institution in the country
The bank said it would combine with its main competitor to form the biggest financial company in the nation.
2
They decided to merge the two departments to cut costs and avoid duplicating work
They chose to bring both teams together as one in order to save money and stop doing the same tasks twice.
3
Over time, the small village merged into the expanding city and lost its rural character
Gradually, the little settlement was absorbed by the growing urban area and no longer felt like countryside.
4
The two streams merge together just below the bridge and form a much wider river
The pair of narrow waterways join right beneath the crossing and create a significantly broader flow.
5
After the acquisition, the boards agreed to merge both companies under a single brand name
Following the takeover, the leadership consented to unify the two businesses under one shared identity.
6
The artist’s work is unique because traditional and modern styles merge seamlessly in every painting
The painter’s pieces stand out because old and contemporary approaches blend perfectly throughout each canvas.
7
As the sun set, the dark hills merged into the night sky until you couldn’t see where one ended and the other began
When evening fell, the shadowy ridges blended with the darkness above so completely that the boundary between them disappeared.
8
In his later novels, reality and fantasy merge into one, making it impossible to separate fact from imagination
In his final books, what’s real and what’s invented blend so thoroughly that you can’t tell the difference between truth and fiction.
9
Slow down — the sign says lanes merge ahead and traffic is heavy
Ease off the speed — the notice warns that two lanes become one up ahead and there are a lot of vehicles on the road.
10
She tried to merge into traffic but nobody would let her in
She attempted to join the flow of cars but no other driver gave her space to enter.
Learner Examples
★
The school decided to merge the two beginner English classes into one larger group because there weren’t enough teachers this semester
The institution chose to combine both starter-level language courses into a single bigger class due to a shortage of instructors this term.
★
When you’re learning a new language, grammar and vocabulary eventually merge together and you stop thinking about rules — you just speak
As you progress in picking up a foreign tongue, structure and words gradually blend into one and you no longer focus on regulations — you simply talk.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
0 items
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymscombine
join together
unite
become one
blend
mix smoothly
fuse
join completely
Antonymsseparate
pull apart
split
divide into parts
divide
break into pieces