merge
merge — verb
1. When separate things merge, or you merge them, they come together as one unit or
When separate things merge, or you merge them, they come together as one unit or group.
The two banks announced plans to merge into a single organisation by April.
intransitive: merge into [organisation]
Otis merged the sales and marketing teams to improve communication between departments.
transitive: merge [team] and [team]
Several small villages along the river merged over time to form one large town.
The company merged its three separate websites into a single online store in 2023.
When the two schools merged, parents worried about the longer travel distance for their children.
- combine
More general; can mean putting things side by side without losing identity, while 'merge' implies becoming one whole
- unite
Focuses on shared purpose rather than structural union; 'unite' is more common for people and groups
- fuse
Suggests a stronger, more permanent union, as if by melting; often used for materials or high-level corporate deals
- consolidate
Means to strengthen an existing structure by bringing parts together, not necessarily forming a new entity
- separate
To divide into parts or keep apart
文法句型
two or more things + merge (intransitive)
second thing + merge with + first thing
merge + into + single result
merge + direct object + into + single result (transitive)
用法筆記
Common in business, computing, and organisational contexts. With companies or groups, 'merge with' is slightly more frequent than 'merge into'; with physical objects or abstract categories, 'merge into' is preferred.
常見錯誤
2. To move a vehicle you are driving from a side road or slip road into a flow of m
To move a vehicle you are driving from a side road or slip road into a flow of moving traffic, adjusting your speed so that drivers already on the road do not have to slow down or stop.
Quan looked over his shoulder and sped up to merge onto the busy highway.
merge onto [road/highway]
The sign at the end of the slip road tells drivers when to start merging.
Élise waited patiently for a gap in the traffic before merging into the right lane.
On motorways, drivers in the left lane should let others merge from the slip road.
- join
More general; 'join a queue of traffic' does not carry the specific speed-adjustment meaning of 'merge'
文法句型
merge + onto + road/highway/motorway
merge + into + lane
merge + into + traffic
merge + with + traffic
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive; the subject is the driver or the vehicle. 'Merge onto' is used for roads (merge onto the freeway); 'merge into' is used for lanes (merge into the left lane). In American English, 'merge onto' is the most common pattern; British English uses 'merge onto' and 'merge into' more interchangeably.
常見錯誤
3. When two or more things blend together so gradually that you can no longer clear
When two or more things blend together so gradually that you can no longer clearly tell them apart, or when the boundary between them becomes unclear.
The sounds of the guitar and piano merged into one soft, peaceful melody.
merge into — gradual blending of sounds
In the thick fog, the sea and sky merged into a single sheet of grey.
merge into — physical natural scene
Over centuries of trade, the two cultures gradually merged into one unique way of life.
Selim noticed his work and home life began to merge when he worked from home.
- blend
Very close in meaning; 'blend' often focuses on mixture while 'merge' focuses on the loss of separate identity
- fuse
Suggests a more complete union, as if by melting together; stronger and more permanent than 'merge'
- coalesce
More formal and literary; suggests things grow together naturally to form a whole
- melt into
Often used for visual or sensory blending, like one colour melting into another
文法句型
thing + merge + into + thing
thing and thing + merge + (into one)
thing + merge + with + thing
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'into' (X merges into Y) or used with 'with' (X merges with Y). The subject is often abstract (cultures, identities, emotions) but can also be physical in descriptive or literary writing. Transitive uses are rare for this sense.