exercising

verb

present participle of exercise
1
as in exerting
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in practicing
to do over and over so as to become skilled the only way to exercise your writing skills is to do more writing

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in using
to put into action or service commended the firefighters for exercising really good judgment in that emergency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the slightest change in travel plans is enough to get him all exercised

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 exercising The burgeoning surveillance, Coggins said, raises the prospect of misuse against people exercising their free-speech rights, including protesters. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Most of the time, senators exercising this role must rely on gauzy assurances and strained analogies to the candidate’s performance in previous positions. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 To benefit from a social element, consider involving friends or exercising in group classes. — Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2026 The focus is widening to include the financial stewardship of the organizations receiving those dollars, and whether nonprofit boards are exercising sufficient oversight over the executives entrusted to spend them. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026 Their time should be dedicated to exercising expert judgment and building relationships with candidates. — Ritu Mohanka, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Instead of relying on metrics to optimize your sleep, experts recommend prioritizing good sleep hygiene, like staying off screens before bed, keeping a consistent sleep schedule, exercising frequently, and limiting food and alcohol close to bedtime. — Zoe Cunniffe, HEALTH, 5 Aug. 2026 Instead, Maryland pushed back again, exercising its right of first refusal to purchase the rights back, leaving the Preakness on the outside looking in. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 State guidance and tenant advocates say rent hikes meant to punish a tenant for filing a code complaint, reporting discrimination, or exercising other legal rights can be challenged in court. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercising
  1. exerting
  2. practicing
  3. using
  4. bothering
  5. applying
  6. utilizing
  7. distracting
  8. exploiting
Verb
  • Instead, in the late 19th century, Japan started to build its own empire, exerting influence over Korea as well as Manchuria, an important area of modern-day China that borders Korea, Russia and Mongolia.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The dynamic underscores how Trump continues to view tariffs as a tool for exerting pressure, both for trade grievances and as leverage in broader negotiations.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of exerting
Verb
  • Spiezio had been practicing for a situation like this his entire life.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to practicing at home with a spear to get the slasher movements just right, Haven would also send Schoenbrun videos with different Little Death walk options.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of practicing
Verb
  • Carrick using Mbeumo as a centre-forward is not new — but the way United’s forward line is gelling around him is.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In Little Rock, former Police Chief Heath Helton, who stepped down in May, was a strong advocate for using technology like license plate reader cameras to support the department's operations.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of using
Verb
  • Once your child starts spilling the beans about what’s bothering them, be understanding.
    — Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Hip still bothering Springs Springs lasted just four innings after issuing a season-high five walks, throwing 86 pitches — only 51% of them strikes — and gave up his 28th home run of the season, the most of any pitcher in the league.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • The exemption would be phased in beginning next January, initially applying to vehicles built before 1981 and expanding by one model year for five years.
    — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One counterargument to the policy of applying economic pressure is that the US has been sanctioning Iran, like a handful of other nations, for decades without sparking meaningful political change.
    — Magdalena Del Valle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of applying
Verb
  • Monaco suggests utilizing stylish storage vessels such as decorative trays and baskets to neatly and quickly corral these items.
    — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 8 Aug. 2026
  • High-intensity companies were utilizing more advanced tools like coding agents or APIs (protocols that allow various applications to communicate).
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of utilizing
Verb
  • Practicing meditation, visualization, or deep breathing may help in distracting from the discomfort of a full bladder for a short time.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
  • At least 10 million people use the Opal app, whose premium tier costs $100 annually, to lock themselves out of distracting apps, while others pay $59 for the Brick to do the same.
    — Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracting
Verb
  • Once focused entirely on exploiting Disney properties, Disney+ has been increasingly opening up its slate to outside IP, including making development deals for Ella Enchanted and Casper series over the past couple of months.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Women accused him in lawsuits of exploiting his position at Operation Underground Railroad and their desire to help combat child trafficking to abuse them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exploiting

Browse Nearby Words

exercises
exercising
exert
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on exercising

Nglish: Translation of exercising for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All