ROUTINE Synonyms: 220 Similar and Opposite Words

routine 1 of 2

noun

rü-ˈtēn

as in grind

an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity part of my morning routine is drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper

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Relevance

as in exercise

something done over and over in order to develop skill a weapons training routine

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as in act

a performance regularly presented by an individual or group did a tired routine that's been around since the days of vaudeville

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routine

2 of 2

adjective

rü-ˈtēn

as in normal

being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events this is just a routine inspection

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as in formal

following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules the routine procedure for filing a complaint with the board

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as in usual

often observed or encountered the movie is a routine thriller that has little to recommend it

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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 routine

Noun

Over time, these routines become part of a person's identity. —

Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Uranus in Gemini is activating your ninth house of beliefs, travel, education and big-picture thinking, while the North Node in Pisces activates your sixth house of work, wellness and routines. —

Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

Adjective

Military officials have identified the eight crew members killed Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base during what officials said was a routine test mission. —

Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026 The employee experienced a medical issue while conducting a routine repair, the company said. —

Maveah Griffith, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for routine

Recent Examples of Synonyms for routine

Noun

The dark cellos of Guðnadóttir chop and grind, and Washington—shrieking, swiping, maddened at the air—flees into the forest, a disappearing uniform.

— James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
The nerves, the grind, the late nights and early mornings — none of that changes because the bracket does.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2026