1
as in certificate
a written or printed paper giving information about or proof of something a valid will is a legal instrument

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
3
4
as in pawn
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another the claim that the scientists are mere instruments of the tobacco companies, who pay them to produce findings that are highly suspect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of instrument are appliance, implement, tool, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

When can appliance be used instead of instrument?

The words appliance and instrument can be used in similar contexts, but appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

When could implement be used to replace instrument?

While the synonyms implement and instrument are close in meaning, implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

How are the words tool and implement related as synonyms of instrument?

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 is utensil a more appropriate choice than instrument?

The synonyms utensil and instrument are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 instrument Every control is perfect, from the six-speed manual transmission to the unadorned steering wheel, and the view is incredible over the low hood and instrument gauges, complete with a rev counter redlining at 9,000 RPM. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2025 Put some more tone into them, put some more clarity into them, put more air around the instruments. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025 Rather than playing her violin on her shoulder, the violinist crouched on a rug with Belaji, facing the instrument toward the floor. Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025 Before modern instruments like strong-motion accelerometers, scientists estimated earthquake intensity based on visible damage and human reports. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instrument
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrument
Noun
  • All experimental planes must be registered with the FAA, inspected by an FAA inspector to obtain an airworthiness certificate, and follow all appropriate federal regulations during each of their flights.
    Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Presidential memorial certificates will not be printed.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The technique is showing because Paul’s learning to use all his tools — the size, the strength, the reach from his arm length, which creates a 7-foot-6 wingspan.
    Omar Kelly October 29, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
  • But while Wikipedia users can directly edit a story, Grokipedia offers tools to ask questions and submit a correction.
    NPR, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • They are left wielding the tools of instrumentality: in-groups and cliques, buying effort through more money, coercive employment agreements and suits against whistleblowers.
    Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • Holding the weight of cotton’s influence on the world, and thus the instrumentality of Black labor, is painful, yet necessary work.
    Cierra Black, Essence, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Prosecutors introduced pawn-shop receipts and fingerprint evidence linking her to Mallory’s property, according to court documents.
    Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • There’s a common refrain that the troops are being used as pawns.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Currently, more than 90 percent of Crystal’s factories have earned sustainable material certifications such as the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and the Organic Cotton Standard (OCS).
    Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Carmody said the predictive analysis system is patent pending, and undertaking other certifications, and anticipates its release in February next year.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And what the pair had was their family firm's bubbling de-icers, $400 electric fan-like devices that, when lowered into the sea, churned warmer water up from below to prevent ice from forming.
    Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Garbage disposals can flush away food debris on pots and pans in a flash, but anyone who owns one of these devices knows that unpleasant smells are a regular occurrence.
    Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The main characters, who wake up chained to pipes, quickly realize amputating their own foot is the only means of escape.
    The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Murphy isn't the only lottery winner in recent weeks to come up with a winning number through unusual means.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The story has gained ascendancy as a vehicle for understanding the world while the ability to interpret narrative has atrophied.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instrument.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrument. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.

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