exercise 1 of 2

1
2
as in practice
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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3
as in use
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

exercise

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to exert
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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2
as in to practice
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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3
as in to use
to put into action or service commended the firefighters for exercising really good judgment in that emergency

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

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 exercise
Noun
Meanwhile, the Chinese military's media wing on Monday released a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing two anti-submarine patrol aircraft taking part in a training exercise. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 On Thursday, Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, reviewed a military training exercise by the armed forces in the eastern Punjab province, the military said. Sheikh Saaliq and Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
Verb
His attorneys immediately filed a habeas corpus petition that accused the Trump administration of arresting him for exercising his free-speech rights. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025 His attorneys have said he was detained in retaliation for exercising his free speech rights in advocating for Palestinian human rights during campus protests last year against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exercise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercise
Noun
  • Camping is another wonderful family activity which affords everyone the opportunity the enjoy the great outdoors.
    Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • Severe weather activity will quickly wind down just before midnight, but the flash flooding threat will linger around through the overnight with any of the heavier downpours that set up.
    Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • Everything about the transition is overwhelming, from the skill of the other players on the court to the length of practices, so Rivers said she’s tried to be patient with her progress early on.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2025
  • Shamanism, anthropologist Manvir Singh’s debut, traces the evolution of the titular spiritual practice.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • The Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy, including the use of jamming devices.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 8 May 2025
  • Researchers have questioned whether African American women's frequent use of chemical hair straighteners, suspected of containing formaldehyde-releasing agents, might explain why breast, uterine and ovarian cancers kill disproportionately more Black than white women.
    Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Those opening few moves are a player’s one real chance to exert control before the chaos sets in.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 May 2025
  • Culture-vulture Wintour exerts political power (tickets for the gala cost $75K per person, and tables for multiples started at $359,000, usually paid for by high-end fashion houses) to influence public perceptions of race, according to the academic-Marxist precepts of Barnard professor Miller.
    Armond White, National Review, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Here's how to use and apply an ammonia and baking soda solution to remove tub rings: Combine half a bucket of water with 1/4 cup of ammonia and 1/4 cup of baking soda.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
  • On a late April afternoon in the East Village—arguably the first real day of spring in New York City—painters stood outside Bar Bianchi, applying their final coats.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Luckily, my dog doesn’t bother the plants—except the ones in the garden—but this plant stand gives me peace of mind anyway.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2025
  • Travel delays don’t bother Blues The Blues got stuck in Winnipeg after Game 5 due to an issue with the plane that was bringing them back to St. Louis.
    Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • This lung disease causes shortness of breath, especially with exertion.
    Smita Patel, Verywell Health, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Longer bouts of exercise are less intense, so they can be mostly fueled by non-lactate-producing aerobic energy, and bouts of exertion shorter than one minute simply don’t have time to produce much lactate.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The landmark law flooded the higher education system with federal money (and, eventually, lots of student loan debt) with the goal of training generations of new engineers.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 9 May 2025
  • More than 4,000 alumni have received this high-level training, and many return year after year.
    Pien Huang, NPR, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exercise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exercise. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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