enlisted; enlisting; enlists
1
a
: to secure the support and aid of : employ in advancing an interest
enlist all the available resources
enlisted our help
b
: to win over : attract
trying to enlist my sympathies
2
: to engage (a person) for duty in the armed forces
1
: to enroll oneself in the armed forces
will enlist for three years
2
: to participate heartily (as in a cause, drive, or crusade)
Synonyms
Examples of enlist in a Sentence
They're enlisting volunteers for an experiment.
We enlisted all available resources.
I enlisted the help of our neighbors.
We enlisted the services of a professional.
They enlisted several new recruits.
After graduating, I enlisted in the navy.
He enlisted in the cause of world peace.
Recent Examples on the Web
After finishing high school, in 1954, Mary spent two years at Arizona State College, before following her older brothers into the military, enlisting in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
—
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
Fashion houses have long made nimble use of respected contemporary artists, enlisting them for merchandise collaborations in order to inject a dose of highbrow imprimatur into their wares.
—Christina Binkley, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2024
Colby Trickle enlisted with the Army Reserve and did odd jobs.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2024
That pitch attracted Gosling, and Leitch enlisted Hobbs & Shaw writer Drew Pearce to work on the script.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024
In the 1998 hit Armageddon, which Bruckheimer produced, NASA enlists a group of oil drillers to fly into space, land on a massive asteroid that’s hurtling towards Earth, drill into the rock and insert a nuclear bomb to destroy it.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Deadpool enlists Wolverine’s help to save his own world to ensure the safety of his newfound friends and family.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
Tillman and his younger brother Kevin enlisted after digesting the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2024
Their report offered no evidence of how the drug got there, despite enlisting the help of China’s national police.
—Tariq Panja, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
Fashion houses have long made nimble use of respected contemporary artists, enlisting them for merchandise collaborations in order to inject a dose of highbrow imprimatur into their wares.
—Christina Binkley, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2024
Colby Trickle enlisted with the Army Reserve and did odd jobs.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2024
That pitch attracted Gosling, and Leitch enlisted Hobbs & Shaw writer Drew Pearce to work on the script.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024
In the 1998 hit Armageddon, which Bruckheimer produced, NASA enlists a group of oil drillers to fly into space, land on a massive asteroid that’s hurtling towards Earth, drill into the rock and insert a nuclear bomb to destroy it.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Deadpool enlists Wolverine’s help to save his own world to ensure the safety of his newfound friends and family.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
Tillman and his younger brother Kevin enlisted after digesting the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2024
Their report offered no evidence of how the drug got there, despite enlisting the help of China’s national police.
—Tariq Panja, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enlist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enlist
Cite this Entry
“Enlist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlist. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enlist
verb
en·list
in-ˈlist 
1
a
: to enroll for military or naval service
especially
: to join one of the armed services voluntarily
b
: to participate heartily (as in a cause or drive)
2
: to obtain the help or support of
enlisted their friends in the campaign
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