Synonym Chooser

How is the word appliance different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of appliance are implement, instrument, tool, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

When is implement a more appropriate choice than appliance?

In some situations, the words implement and appliance are roughly equivalent. However, implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

When can instrument be used instead of appliance?

Although the words instrument and appliance have much in common, instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

How do tool and implement relate to one another, in the sense of appliance?

Tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.

a carpenter's tools

When would utensil be a good substitute for appliance?

While the synonyms utensil and appliance are close in meaning, utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.

kitchen utensils

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 appliance But some issues aren't the appliance's fault, Taylor said. Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025 This mini pancake maker—which went viral on TikTok— is beloved by thousands, and like lots of Dash’s miniature appliances, really does work. Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2025 Presumably there are more appliances hidden in the cabinets too. New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2025 KitchenAid creates small appliances that are designed to be color-coordinated. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for appliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appliance
Noun
  • The middle aisle is restocked with home goods, organizers, candles, cleaning gadgets, even clothing and shoes, and new ALDI food items are stocked on the shelves, perched and ready for the deals to be snapped up by customers.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
  • If a specific style or gadget encourages you to drink more, that’s great.
    Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There's room for one body, a lens, and small accessories.
    Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
  • And this latest fit is a textbook example of Hailey Bieber’s aesthetic, involving a good leather, some elevated basics, a dash of activewear, and an interesting shoe or accessory.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For women with dense breasts, several options exist beyond standard mammography.
    Dr. Megha Gupta, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Those cuts have left some families who had been hoping to join trials of new treatments scrambling to find other options.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Appliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appliance. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on appliance

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