synchronize
gb/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz/ us/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz/
B2
English
~ 9500
összehangol, szinkronizál, összehangolódik, szinkronban van, a hangot a képhez igazít
VERB
B2
1
összehangol
B2
szinkronizál
C1
Usage pattern:
to synchronize [something] with [something]
We need to synchronize our schedules before booking the trip.
Az út lefoglalása előtt össze kell hangolnunk az időbeosztásainkat.
The choreographer worked hard to synchronize the dancers’ movements.
A koreográfus keményen dolgozott, hogy összehangolja a táncosok mozdulatait.
Traffic lights are synchronized to keep cars moving smoothly through the city.
The company synchronized the launch dates in Europe and Asia.
Please synchronize your watch with the official time before the exam starts.
Learner examples
We must synchronize our meeting times.
Össze kell hangolnunk a megbeszéléseink időpontjait.
The dancers synchronize their steps on stage.
A táncosok összehangolják a lépéseiket a színpadon.
The teacher asked us to synchronize our clocks.
The team tried to synchronize their plans.
The lights are synchronized so traffic moves easily.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"synchronize to"* instead of *"synchronize with"*. Use *"with"* when you talk about making one thing match another, e.g. *"synchronize your watch with the clock"*, not *"synchronize your watch to the clock"* in most modern usage.
Meaning
make actions happen together
Collocations
synchronize schedules
|synchronize efforts
|synchronize movements
|synchronize operations
|synchronize activities
|synchronize timing
Synonyms
coordinate (focuses more on organizing people or activities, not only on time.)
|
align (suggests bringing plans or actions into agreement; timing is often implied but not always central.)
|
harmonize (adds a sense of smoothness or balance, often used for relationships, policies, or music.)
Antonyms
disrupt (emphasizes breaking the smooth or coordinated timing of actions.)
|
misalign (focuses on things not matching or lining up in time or arrangement.)
Themes
time
|work
|organization
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to make two or more things happen at the same time or speed, so they work well together
To cause two or more actions, processes, or events to happen at the same time or at the same speed, often so they work smoothly together.
VERB
B2
2
szinkronizál
B2
Usage pattern:
to synchronize [data/devices] with [a device/service]
Make sure to synchronize your contacts before you switch phones.
Mielőtt telefont cserélsz, mindenképp szinkronizáld a névjegyeidet.
The app automatically synchronizes your notes across all your devices.
Az alkalmazás automatikusan szinkronizálja a jegyzeteidet az összes eszközöd között.
You can synchronize your calendar with your work account.
The smartwatch failed to synchronize with my phone after the update.
Users can synchronize files to the cloud for backup.
Learner examples
I synchronize my photos with the cloud.
Szinkronizálom a fotóimat a felhővel.
The music app synchronizes songs on my phone and laptop.
A zenei alkalmazás szinkronizálja a dalokat a telefonom és a laptopom között.
Please synchronize your contacts before you reset the phone.
The watch did not synchronize with my new phone.
This program can synchronize files between two computers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *"download"* instead of *"synchronize"*. *Download* is one-way (from internet to device), while *synchronize* is two-way: all devices share the newest data. Also, *sync* is very common in speech and apps; it means the same thing but is more informal.
Meaning
make data the same everywhere
Collocations
synchronize data
|synchronize files
|synchronize devices
|synchronize your phone
|synchronize your calendar
|synchronize settings
Synonyms
sync (informal shortened form commonly used in everyday tech contexts and user interfaces.)
|
update (broader; does not always mean matching data across devices, just making something newer.)
|
mirror (suggests one device exactly copies another, often continuously.)
Antonyms
desynchronize (technical term meaning to remove synchronization so data or processes no longer stay matched.)
|
disconnect (focuses on breaking the link between devices or accounts so they no longer share data.)
Themes
technology
|computing
|communication
Definition
to update digital data so that your phone, computer, and other devices all have the same new information
To automatically update and match digital data so that multiple devices or systems all have the same, most recent information.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
[something] synchronizes with [something]
The fountain’s jets synchronize with the music.
A szökőkút vízsugarai a zenével szinkronban mozognak.
As they practiced, their steps gradually synchronized.
Ahogy gyakoroltak, a lépéseik fokozatosan összehangolódtak.
The two clocks never quite synchronize, no matter how often I adjust them.
Heartbeats can sometimes synchronize when people sit quietly together.
The flashing lights synchronize with each drum beat.
Learner examples
The lights synchronize with the song.
A fények a dallal szinkronban változnak.
Their hands synchronize as they clap.
A kezük mozgása összehangolódik, ahogy tapsolnak.
The two machines do not synchronize well.
The waves seem to synchronize with my breathing.
The children try to synchronize their jumping.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this intransitive use with the transitive one and say *"synchronize something"* when they mean it happens by itself. For example, say *"Their movements synchronized"* (they matched by themselves), not *"They synchronized their movements"* unless someone is actively making them do it.
Meaning
happen at the same time
Collocations
synchronize with the music
|synchronize with each other
|perfectly synchronized
|synchronize in time
|synchronize naturally
Synonyms
coincide (focuses on happening at the same time; less about repeated or controlled timing.)
|
align (suggests coming into the same position or pattern, sometimes including time.)
Antonyms
clash (used when times or events conflict instead of matching.)
|
lag (describes one thing happening later than another instead of at the same time.)
Themes
time
|science
|music
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to happen or move at the same time or speed as something else
To happen, change, or move at the same time or speed as something else, often in a regular or controlled way.
VERB
C1
4
Usage pattern:
to synchronize [sound] with [picture/video]
The editor spent hours synchronizing the dialogue with the actors’ lips.
A vágó órákat töltött azzal, hogy a párbeszédet a színészek ajakmozgásához igazítsa.
The film’s sound was badly synchronized, which made it hard to watch.
A film hangja rosszul volt a képhez szinkronizálva, ezért nehéz volt nézni.
Technicians are working to synchronize the live audio with the video stream.
In post-production, they synchronized the soundtrack to the animation.
Older movies sometimes need their soundtracks synchronized again when they are restored.
Learner examples
They synchronized the sound with the movie.
A hangot a film képéhez igazították.
The audio is not synchronized with the video.
A hang nincs szinkronban a videóval.
The engineer must synchronize the voices and the picture.
The cartoon music is synchronized to the action.
The TV station did not synchronize the sound correctly.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the sound is not in time"* instead of the more natural *"the sound is not synchronized with the picture"* when describing film or video problems.
Meaning
match sound with picture
Collocations
synchronize sound and picture
|synchronize the soundtrack
|poorly synchronized audio
|synchronize dialogue
|synchronize the video feed
Synonyms
sync (very common informal and technical short form used in film and video work.)
|
dub (means to add or replace recorded sound, not mainly about timing, though timing is involved.)
Antonyms
mismatch (describes sound and picture not lining up correctly.)
Themes
film
|media
|technology
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
to change or set sound so it fits the picture in a film or video exactly
To arrange or adjust recorded sound so that it matches the corresponding actions or lip movements in film or video.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
5
szinkronizál
C1
Usage pattern:
to synchronize [threads/processes] using [a method/tool]
You need to synchronize these threads to avoid race conditions.
Szinkronizálnod kell ezeket a szálakat, hogy elkerüld a versenyhelyzeteket.
The system failed because the processes were not properly synchronized.
A rendszer azért állt le, mert a folyamatok nem voltak megfelelően szinkronizálva.
We use a mutex to synchronize access to the shared variable.
The communication protocol is designed to synchronize operations between servers.
Developers must carefully synchronize read and write operations on this database.
Learner examples
The program does not synchronize the threads correctly.
A program nem szinkronizálja helyesen a szálakat.
You must synchronize access to this file.
Szinkronizálnod kell a fájlhoz való hozzáférést.
The two processes synchronize before they send data.
The engineer will synchronize the system clocks on the servers.
This code uses a lock to synchronize the tasks.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with simply *"running at the same time"*. In technical contexts, *synchronize* means carefully controlling when things run so they do not conflict, not just making them simultaneous.
Meaning
control timing of processes
Collocations
synchronize threads
|synchronize processes
|synchronize access
|synchronize operations
|synchronize shared data
Synonyms
serialize (technical; focuses on forcing operations to happen one after another.)
|
lock (refers to using a specific mechanism to synchronize access to a resource.)
Antonyms
run concurrently (describes processes operating at the same time without controlled coordination.)
Themes
technology
|computing
|engineering
|science
Definition
in computer systems, to control when different parts run so they do not use the same data or tools at the same time in a wrong way
In computing and engineering, to control or manage the timing of processes or threads so that they work together correctly, especially when they share data or resources.
Grammar
Dictionary form
synchronize
IPA
GB/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz/
US/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
syn - chron - ize (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (syn)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: synchronize
- 3rd Person Singular: synchronizes
- Present Participle: synchronizing
- Past: synchronized
Word family
Forms
synchronizes
verb
synchronizing
verb
synchronized
verb
Core family
synchronization
noun C1
synchronous
adjective
Related words
sync
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
asynchronous
adjective
Advanced or less common
synchronously
adverb
asynchronously
adverb
Expressions
synchronize clocks
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz klˈɑks/
fixed phrase
make all clocks show same time
to set two or more clocks so they show exactly the same time
Examples
- Let’s synchronize clocks before the exam starts.
- Pilots always synchronize clocks before takeoff.
- We synchronized clocks so we could start the game together.
synchronize data
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz dˈætə/
fixed phrase
technical
keep digital data identical
to make sure the same digital information is the same on different devices or services
Examples
- The app can synchronize data between your phone and laptop.
- You should synchronize data regularly to avoid losing changes.
- The service failed to synchronize data overnight.
synchronize devices
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz dɪvˈaɪsɪz/
fixed phrase
technical
link devices to share data
to connect devices so they share the same information and stay up to date
Examples
- You can synchronize devices through your cloud account.
- The user synchronized devices so notifications appear on both the phone and the tablet.
- First synchronize devices, then install the new app.
synchronize efforts
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz ˈɛfɚts/
fixed phrase
coordinate people’s work in time
to plan when people work so that their work helps each other and not at the wrong time
Examples
- The two departments must synchronize efforts to meet the deadline.
- They synchronized efforts to launch the campaign worldwide.
- We should synchronize efforts instead of working in isolation.
synchronize files
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz fˈaɪlz/
fixed phrase
technical
make files the same everywhere
to update files so that every device has the newest version of each file
Examples
- The program will automatically synchronize files when you go online.
- I use this service to synchronize files between my home and office computers.
- Remember to synchronize files before you work offline.
synchronize movements
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz mˈuvmənts/
fixed phrase
make movements match in time
to move at the same time and in the same way as someone or something else
Examples
- The swimmers synchronize movements during the routine.
- Robots in the factory synchronize movements to speed up production.
- After many hours of practice, they could synchronize movements perfectly.
synchronize schedules
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz skˈɛd͡ʒulz/
fixed phrase
make schedules work together
to change people’s plans and times so they can meet or work together
Examples
- It took weeks to synchronize schedules for the international meeting.
- We need to synchronize schedules before we plan the project.
- They synchronized schedules so both teams could attend the call.
synchronize with
1/sˈɪŋkɹənˌaɪz wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
make timing match something
to change how something happens so it happens at the same time as something else
Examples
- The dancers synchronize with the rhythm of the drums.
- Please synchronize your watch with the clock in the hall.
- The app will synchronize with your online account automatically.