ENGLISH
REFERENCE

compares

v.
B1 Intermediate US //kəmˈpɛɹz// UK //kəmpˈeəz// com·pares

v. to look at two or more things to see how they are similar or different. You use this when you want to find out which thing is better or more useful.

v. to examine two or more objects, ideas, or people in order to note similarities and differences. This third-person singular form often introduces a contrast or a likeness between subjects.


SIMPLE

She compares the prices of different brands before buying anything.

CONTEXTUAL

The report compares the performance of the new software with the previous version to justify the upgrade cost.

COMPLEX

A literary critic often compares the themes of a modern novel to those found in classical mythology to highlight universal human experiences.

Synonyms
Usage

Often takes the prepositions 'to' or 'with'.

Pitfall

He compares the city with a forest.He compares the city to a forest.While 'with' is used for finding differences between similar things, 'to' is used when pointing out a likeness between two different things.

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