EXERCISES Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

exercises 1 of 2

noun

plural of exercise

as in practices

something done over and over in order to develop skill a young piano student dutifully going through the standard finger exercises

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as in uses

the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose the observation that the best exercise for losing weight is the exercise of one's ability to say no to food

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exercises

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of exercise

as in exerts

to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively a senator who consistently exercises his clout in Congress to get pork barrel projects for his state

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as in drills

to do over and over so as to become skilled the only way to exercise your writing skills is to do more writing

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as in applies

to put into action or service commended the firefighters for exercising really good judgment in that emergency

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in alarms

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the slightest change in travel plans is enough to get him all exercised

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of exercises

Noun

And that doesn’t count other Navy demands on the carrier fleet, like exercises with allies or keeping a presence in the Indo-Pacific, Parker said. — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 China sends military planes, as well as Coast Guard ships and other vessels towards Taiwan on a daily basis and carries out large-scale military exercises from time to time. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Taiwan is conducting its largest-ever annual military preparedness drills alongside extensive civil defense exercises aimed at mobilizing a whole-of-society response in the event of conflict with China. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Cheng’s prescription is direct engagement and the revival of the KMT’s role as an intermediary between two governments that, under two-and-a-half DPP terms, only communicate through warplanes and naval exercises. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Taiwan throttled its own internet during annual defense exercises this week, readying its population for a possible future attack by China. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026 Her workouts typically consist of strength exercises, mixed with martial arts and outdoor activities like hiking and running. — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Verb

Everyone exercises leadership within their domain of competence. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Power systems for the MK48 torpedo The first award exercises the fourth option year of an existing contract supporting the MK48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026 In other words, someone who exercises regularly but also spends many hours each day watching television still has additional risks for worse cognitive health because of their passive sedentary behavior. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The European Union exercises great influence in fields such as data protection, competition, and food safety. — Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026 The researchers hypothesized that routinely building cognitive maps exercises the very circuitry that Alzheimer’s attacks first. — Hatim Sharif, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 By contrast, Congress appropriates much of the public-private institution’s funding and exercises oversight over the institution, which is governed by a board of regents. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 Lamine Yamal also complained about the readaptation exercises he was given after suffering a groin injury, but the situation blew up when Raphinha suffered multiple setbacks from a hamstring injury in October. — Pol Ballús, New York Times, 10 July 2026 Zellweger gained nearly 20 pounds to play the character, who drinks often and exercises intermittently. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercises

Noun

Elarms-Orr has been sprinkled into first-team time throughout open practices.

— Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Medical practices throughout the world were roughly similar, but the consistency of the messaging helped engender a level of trust that went missing in other locales.

— T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of practices

Noun

Benefits and uses of peppermint oil Made from crushed peppermint leaves, peppermint oil comes in various forms, each with its own use.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
And no matter how brilliant the technology, the transition to AI could lead to a plethora of problems—whether having to do with military uses, cyberattacks, or rogue AI—that will force policymakers to dramatically slow down its implementation.

— Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of uses

Verb

Simply put, when one object exerts a force on another, the second one exerts an equal and opposite force in return.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
The killing of Manzo triggered massive street protests in Uruapan and dramatized how organized crime exerts widespread control in much of Mexico.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of exerts

Verb

That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026

Definition of alarms

Noun

The lifetime plan includes 52 interactive micro-lessons, 11 core memory skills, 140 virtual loci, unlimited practice attempts, and a distraction-free, ad-free experience.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2026
Wagh said the speed of change is forcing the military to innovate more quickly and use exercises like Northern Strike to test those lessons before troops encounter them in combat.

— Olivianna Calmes, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of lessons

Verb

Nissan The upcoming US version of the Rogue utilizes a specialized variable-compression turbo engine designed to maintain peak electrical generation efficiency at high American highway speeds, aiming for a real-world rating somewhere over 40 mpg.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
Biolyz isn’t the only biomarker test Leverkusen uses; the team also utilizes capillary blood draws through the fingertip or earlobe.

— Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of utilizes

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exercisers

exercises

exercising

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“Exercises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exercises. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of exercises

noun

verb

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