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merge

/mɜːrdʒ//mɜːdʒ/·verb
to combine into a single whole; for separate things to blend into one
Fig. 1 — I watch two lanes of traffic running side by side until the road ahead pinches down to one.
01Definition

To merge is for two separate things to come together into one — lanes of traffic merge, companies merge, datasets merge. From the Latin mergere 'to plunge or dip', it once meant to sink in, and still carries that sense of one thing taken into another until they are no longer separate. When two firms merge they form a single company; where two rivers merge, one name usually wins. To merge is a broader, often deliberate move than to coalesce, and a close relative of consolidate.

02In use
  • iThe two motorway lanes merge just past the bridge, so cars take turns joining the single stream.
  • iiRather than compete, the two startups agreed to merge into one company.
  • iiiAs dusk fell, the far hills seemed to merge with the darkening sky.
03Collocations
  • merge with
  • merge into
  • merge two companies
  • lanes merge
  • a proposed merger

Family merger (noun) · merging (noun)

04Relations

=coalesce, consolidate, combine, fuse, amalgamate

≠diverge, split, separate

05Compared
PairThe difference
merge vs amalgamatecombine organizations into one under a single name (formal) → amalgamate; combine separate things so they become one → merge.
merge vs blendmix things into one smooth, uniform whole → blend; combine two things so one runs on where there were two → merge.
merge vs coalescemany small parts growing together into one on their own → coalesce; separate organizations combined into one, often deliberately → merge.
merge vs coincidetwo things falling on the same point but staying distinct → coincide; two things combining into one whole → merge.
merge vs combinebring things together while each keeps its identity → combine; combine things so they become one and lose their identity → merge.

Also compared with concentrate, consolidate, converge, disband, disperse, dissipate, dissolve, diverge, divide, emerge, fuse, integrate, intersect, join, meet, scatter, separate, split, unite

06TOEFL & IELTS

The prepositions carry a nuance: merge with joins two equals (our team merged with theirs), while merge into stresses one thing absorbed into a larger whole (the villages merged into one town). The noun is merger, the standard business term — and a merger (a mutual join of near-equals) differs from an acquisition (a larger firm taking over a smaller one). Reserve merge for this academic sense; 'merge cells' and 'git merge' are software jargon, not exam vocabulary.

07Asked
Is it 'merge with' or 'merge into'?
Both are correct, with a difference of emphasis. Merge with treats the two as equals joining ('the small bank merged with a rival'). Merge into stresses one thing being absorbed into a larger whole ('the hamlets merged into a single town', 'the lane merges into the motorway'). 'Merge to' is not standard. Pick with for a partnership, into for absorption.
What is the difference between merge and combine?
Combine keeps its parts distinguishable — combined ingredients can still be told apart. Merge implies they are swallowed up into one whole and lose their separate outline. In the scene above two lanes merge into one: the cars remain, but the two lanes are gone. Everything that merges is combined; not everything combined goes as far as merging.
What is a merger?
The noun for two companies joining to form one — the standard business term. Analysts sort them by direction: horizontal (two rivals in the same market), vertical (a firm and its supplier or buyer), and conglomerate (companies in unrelated fields). The verb is merge, the noun is merger — 'the proposed merger of the two airlines'.
What is the difference between a merger and an acquisition?
In a merger, two firms of roughly equal size mutually join to form one new company. In an acquisition, a larger firm takes over a smaller one, which is absorbed and ceases to exist as an independent business. The pair is usually written together as 'mergers and acquisitions' (M&A), but the balance of power is the real difference.
How do you pronounce merge?
Merj (/mɜːrdʒ/) — one syllable with a soft g, exactly like the end of 'urge' and 'verge'. It rhymes with emerge, which is a useful trap to notice: emerge (to come out into view) sounds close but means almost the opposite of merge (to disappear into one). The final -ge is a soft /dʒ/, never a hard g.
Is 'merge' suitable for academic writing?
Yes — merge is neutral-to-formal and works well in academic and business prose: datasets merge, sectors merge, two theories merge into one framework. Just keep it to that sense. The software uses — merge cells, mail merge, git merge, merge a PDF — are technical jargon, and an essay that means 'combine ideas' should use the plain verb, not the computing one.