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supply

/səˈplaɪ/
verbnounadverb

SUPPLY meaning: an amount provided or the act of providing; this six-letter word scores 13 points in Scrabble.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To provide (something), to make (something) available for use.

    “to supply money for the war”

  2. To furnish or equip with.

    “to supply a furnace with fuel; to supply soldiers with ammunition”

  3. To fill up, or keep full.

    “Rivers are supplied by smaller streams.”

  4. To compensate for, or make up a deficiency of.

Noun 4 meanings

  1. The act of supplying.

  2. An amount of something supplied.

    “A supply of good drinking water is essential.”

  3. The market force that causes sellers to be both willing and able to sell a good or service, as measured by the amount of that good or service that is currently available to be bought at any given price point; the amount itself.

    “Supply and demand ebb and flow in a complex interplay.”

  4. Provisions.

    “They are busy laying in supplies for the coming winter.”

Adverb 1 meaning

  1. Supplely: in a supple manner, with suppleness.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English supplien, borrowed from Old French soupleer, souploier, from Latin suppleo (“to fill up, make full, complete, supply”). The Middle English spelling was modified to conform to Latin etymology.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
fulfilllineprovision
Opposite
demand

SUPPLY works as both a noun and a verb: it can mean an amount provided, provisions, or the act of providing. In economics, it also names the amount sellers are willing and able to offer at a given price. That range makes the word familiar in everyday speech and in market discussions.

SUPPLY at a glance

  • SUPPLY has six letters and is commonly used, with a frequency count of 14,396.
  • At face value, SUPPLY totals 13 Scrabble points; P is worth 3 twice, and Y is worth 4.
  • The letters L-P-P-S-U-Y have no anagrams listed.
  • SUPPLE is SUPPLY’s only one-letter neighbour; its final Y changes to E.

How does SUPPLY score 13 Scrabble points?

SUPPLY scores 13 points before any board bonuses. Its tiles add up as S 1, U 1, P 3, P 3, L 1, and Y 4, so the two P tiles and the Y supply most of the value.

The double P is the scoring hinge: those tiles contribute 6 points together, while the Y adds 4. On a premium square, a letter or word multiplier changes the total, but the rack value stays 13.

What words sound like or differ from SUPPLY?

SUPPLY has 12 listed rhymes, including simply, apply, reply, comply, and resupply. The shared ending is “ply,” so these words rhyme even when their beginnings and meanings differ.

SUPPLE is the only one-letter neighbour: change SUPPLY’s final Y to E and every other letter stays in place. The SUPPLY meaning is broader than that near-match; SUPPLE describes flexibility, while SUPPLY refers to providing or to what is provided. No anagram rearranges all six letters into another listed word.

Rhymes with supply

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • SUPPLE10

Questions people ask

What does supply mean?
Supply means the act of providing something, an amount provided, or provisions. In economics, it refers to the amount sellers are willing and able to offer at a given price. The word functions as both a noun and a verb.
How many points is SUPPLY worth in Scrabble?
SUPPLY is worth 13 points before board bonuses. The two P tiles contribute 6 points together, and Y adds 4; S, U, and L contribute 1 point each. Premium squares can raise the total during play.
What rhymes with SUPPLY?
SUPPLY has 12 listed rhymes. Examples include simply, apply, reply, deeply, comply, sharply, and resupply. Each shares the “ply” ending, although the words differ in their beginnings and meanings.

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