sync
gb/sˈɪŋk/ us/sˈɪŋk/
B1
English
~ 8200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
make data or devices match
to make two or more devices or sets of data the same, or make them work together at the same time
Usage pattern:
to sync [device/data] with [device/service]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"make it sync"* when a simple verb is enough, as in *"sync it"*. Another common mistake is using the wrong preposition: it is most natural to say *"sync [something] with [something]"*, not *"sync [something] to"* in many contexts (though *"sync to"* appears in some technical instructions). Some learners also confuse the spelling with *"sink"*, which is a different word with a different pronunciation.
Synonyms
synchronize (More formal and technical; often used in writing or careful speech.)
|
align (Broader word; can be used for ideas or positions, not just devices or data.)
Antonyms
disconnect (Focuses on removing a connection so devices or data no longer work together.)
Collocations
sync your phone
|sync data
|sync files
|sync contacts
|sync calendars
|sync with the cloud
Themes
technology
|computing
|daily_life
Examples
- I need to sync my phone with my laptop before I leave.
- The app automatically syncs your photos with your online account.
- Make sure you sync the calendars so the whole team sees the same events.
- You can sync your music library across all your devices.
- The fitness watch failed to sync the workout data with the mobile app.
Learner examples
- Please sync your phone with the computer.
- The program syncs my files every night.
- I synced my photos to the cloud.
- He forgot to sync his contacts with his new phone.
- You can sync this device with your tablet.
Verb
B2
state
2
be or become synchronized
to be or become in the same time or state as something else, especially sound, video, or data
Usage pattern:
[something] syncs (with [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes add an unnecessary object and say *"sync it"* when the verb is intransitive, as in *"The audio does not sync"*, not *"The audio does not sync it"*. Another confusion is using *"is sync"* instead of *"is in sync"*; for the state, English normally requires the phrase *"in sync"*.
Synonyms
match (More general; can be used for many kinds of similarity, not only timing or data.)
|
line up (Informal; suggests things happening at the same time or in the same order.)
Antonyms
clash (Emphasizes that times, sounds, or actions do not fit well together.)
Collocations
audio and video sync
|systems don't sync
|everything will sync
|databases sync
Themes
technology
|media
|computing
Examples
- The audio and video don't sync, so the actor's lips look wrong.
- Once your accounts sync, you will see the same balance on every device.
- Sometimes the two databases fail to sync and the records are different.
- Give it a minute; the changes will sync across all your devices.
- The subtitles don't sync with the dialogue in this movie.
Learner examples
- The sound and the picture do not sync.
- Wait a moment so the files can sync.
- After a few seconds, the music and the video sync.
- My email did not sync on my phone.
- When the internet is slow, the photos do not sync.
Noun
B2
state
3
process or state of synchronization
the action or state of making things the same in time or information, especially for computers or sound and picture
Usage pattern:
a [full/quick] sync; in/out of sync
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"make a sync"* instead of natural phrases like *"do a sync"* or *"run a sync"*. Another mistake is dropping *"of"* in the fixed phrases *"in sync"* and *"out of sync"*; correct forms are *"The audio is in sync"* and *"The audio is out of sync"*, not *"The audio is sync"* or *"out sync"*.
Synonyms
synchronization (Longer, more formal word; often used in technical writing.)
Antonyms
mismatch (Describes a lack of agreement between two sets of data, times, or signals.)
Collocations
full sync
|quick sync
|incremental sync
|run a sync
|do a sync
|audio is out of sync
Themes
technology
|computing
|media
|science
Examples
- The app performs a full sync every night at midnight.
- Before you travel, do a quick sync so you have the latest files offline.
- The audio is out of sync with the video on this stream.
- A background sync keeps your contacts up to date across devices.
- After the power cut, the system needed another sync to correct the data.
Learner examples
- This program does a sync every hour.
- The movie looks strange because the sound is out of sync.
- I ran a sync to update my files.
- After the sync, the two phones had the same photos.
- We need one more sync to fix the errors.
Noun
informal
B2
event
4
short meeting to update
a short, informal meeting where people tell each other news about their work and plan together
Usage pattern:
a sync with [someone/team]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly treat *sync* here as a verb and say *"We will sync"* when they mean the meeting itself; more natural is *"We will have a sync"* for the noun. Also, this use is mostly common in modern office and tech-company English; in other settings, words like *meeting* or *check-in* may sound more natural.
Synonyms
check-in (Very similar meaning; slightly more general and common in many workplaces.)
|
catch-up (Informal; focuses on talking about what has happened recently.)
Antonyms
silence (Highlights the absence of communication or updates within a team.)
Collocations
quick sync
|morning sync
|weekly sync
|team sync
|one-on-one sync
Themes
business
|communication
|work
Examples
- Let's have a quick sync after lunch to finalize the plan.
- We do a ten-minute morning sync every day to stay aligned.
- Can we schedule a one-on-one sync next week?
- The product and marketing teams hold a weekly sync on Tuesdays.
- I missed the sync and now I don't know the latest priorities.
Learner examples
- We had a short sync this morning.
- Let's do a quick sync before the call.
- Our team has a weekly sync on Monday.
- I joined the sync late and missed the first part.
- She asked for a sync to talk about the project.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
5
music licensing for visual media
in the music and film business, a deal or payment for using a song together with a video, movie, or advertisement
Usage pattern:
a sync for [show/ad]; land a sync
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this meaning is general because they know the basic word *sync*, but this use is special industry vocabulary. Outside music and media business contexts, people may not understand *sync* with this meaning.
Synonyms
synchronization license (More formal, full term used in legal and industry contexts.)
Antonyms
unlicensed use (Describes using music in visual media without a legal synchronization agreement.)
Collocations
sync deal
|sync license
|land a sync
|TV sync
|ad sync
Themes
media
|business
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The band landed a big car commercial sync for their latest single.
- Most of their income last year came from TV and film syncs.
- We're negotiating a sync license for that track in the new series.
- A prime-time sync can give an unknown artist huge exposure.
- The label handles all sync deals for the catalog.
Learner examples
- The artist was happy to get a sync in a movie.
- They are talking about a sync deal for a TV show.
- A good sync can help a new song become popular.
- Her company finds syncs for indie bands.
- He works in sync licensing for films.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sync
IPA
GB/sˈɪŋk/
US/sˈɪŋk/
Syllables & stress
sync (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sync)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sync
- Plural: syncs
Verb
- Base: sync
- 3rd Person Singular: syncs
- Present Participle: syncing
- Past: synced
- Past Participle: synced
Word family
Forms
syncs
noun
syncing
verb
synced
verb
Core family
Related words
synchronous
adjective
synchronously
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
asynchronous
adjective
asynchronously
adverb
Advanced or less common
synchronizer
noun
Expressions
in sync
1/ˈɪn sˈɪŋk/
fixed phrase
matched in time or harmony
working well together or happening at the same time in the right way
Examples
- The sound is finally in sync with the video.
- The new manager is in sync with the rest of the team.
out of sync
1/ˈaʊt əv sˈɪŋk/
fixed phrase
not matched or not harmonious
not working well together, or not happening at the same time in the right way
Examples
- The dialogue is out of sync with the actors' lips.
- Their plans are out of sync with the needs of the community.
sync up
1/sˈɪŋk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
become synchronized or coordinate
to become the same in time or information, or to meet and share information so you can work together well
Examples
- Let's sync up later and go over the presentation.
- The calendars will automatically sync up once you sign in on both devices.