Meaning & use
synchronising
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“synchronising” is a form of “synchronise”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Making two or more things happen or work at the same time or speed.
Grammar: Can take an object (synchronise watches) or be used without one (the lights synchronise).
Patterns
- synchronise something
- synchronise with something
The dancers are synchronising their movements with the music.
We need to synchronise our calendars before the meeting.
The two clocks synchronise automatically every hour.
verbtransitivecomputing
Making data or devices match or operate together.
Grammar: Often used for phones, computers, or accounts: synchronise your contacts.
Patterns
- synchronise something
- synchronise something with something
I synchronise my phone with my laptop every evening.
The app synchronises your files across all devices.
Make sure the database is synchronising correctly.
Word forms
| third person singular | synchronises |
|---|---|
| past tense | synchronised |
| past participle | synchronised |
| -ing form | synchronising |
Common combinations
- synchronise with
- The sound must synchronise with the video.
- synchronise data
- The software can synchronise data between two computers.
- synchronise watches
- Before the mission, they synchronised their watches.
- perfectly synchronised
- The swimmers were perfectly synchronised.
Synonyms and how they differ
- coordinate
- Coordinate focuses on organizing activities to work well together, while synchronise emphasizes exact timing.
- align
- Align means to put things in a straight line or correct position; synchronise is more about timing.
- sync
- Sync is an informal short form of synchronise, common in computing and everyday speech.
Word family
- synchronisation noun
- The act or process of synchronising.
- synchronised adjective
- Happening at the same time or working together.
- synchroniser noun
- A device or person that synchronises things.
Commonly confused: synchronising or synthesizing?
synchronising vs synthesizing
Synthesizing means combining things to make a whole, while synchronising is about timing.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'synchronising' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'synchronising' to mean making things happen at the same time. Option 1 uses 'synthesizing' which means combining. Option 2 and 3 use 'synchronising' with objects that don't involve timing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “synchronising”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.