as in grind
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity
learned the rote for the exercise warm-up but not the reasoning behind it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in routine
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 rote
Brendan Harley, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Much of the immediate thinking about how generative AI will disrupt industries has focused on gaining efficiencies or taking away rote work.
—Gina Chua, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 11 Aug. 2025
Both automations worked as intended without any major hiccups, which bodes well for freelancers who want to reduce rote tasks.
—Alison Barretta, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rote
Noun
And while some may say academics exist in an ivory tower, the experience of welcoming generations of young people into our institutions each year provides a constant reminder of what is gained by educating young adults to ask why and why not rather than to rely on rote certainty.
—Brendan Harley, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Much of the immediate thinking about how generative AI will disrupt industries has focused on gaining efficiencies or taking away rote work.
—Gina Chua, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Or when a student who suffered through four years of high school thinking history is about rote memorization unlocks its enormous analytical power to help better understand our present and think about the future, too.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 11 Aug. 2025
Both automations worked as intended without any major hiccups, which bodes well for freelancers who want to reduce rote tasks.
—Alison Barretta, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rote
Noun
-
Sadly, the effort to relocate those mice turned out to be a daily routine with no foreseeable end.—
Irv Erdos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Yet unlike romantic relationships (which most people naturally weave into their daily routines), our platonic ones rarely get that same kind of priority.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In her usual soft-spoken British accent, she was known for balancing the grim realities of the climate crisis with a sincere message of hope for the future.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Messi, who was denied by the post in the first half but who struggled to make his usual impact, walked off the field and straight to the locker room at the final whistle without stopping for any of the usual handshakes or greetings.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And the day in, day out grind and all.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement All of that was just the physical grind.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This accelerated pace of stellar birth powers immense outflows of gas and fuels the growth of super star clusters at its core, which contain hundreds of thousands of stars and shine far brighter than typical star clusters.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Owens' comments were addressed early in the premiere episode, then the episode unfolded in typical fashion with roses, dates and drama.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This fungus, usually seen as an ordinary decomposer, shows a remarkable ability to grow into hydrogels, the materials that hold water and mimic the softness of human tissue.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
-
An intimate portrait of love and exhaustion that finds the comic edge in ordinary chaos.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Sure, last season was punctuated by an intriguing finish, but for the most part, Canales’ offense has felt unimaginative.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
-
An unimaginative offseason and years of poor drafting left had them no choice.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Switching to pricier papers specifically designed for inkjets can boost an ink tank printer's text quality and line graphics to at least match a laser, but the different paper types have a noticeably different feel than standard plain paper.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The updates also underscore NVIDIA’s ambition to define the standard platform for building general-purpose robots, especially humanoids, which demand precise physics and complex reasoning to function in human environments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Newsweek contacted Johnson by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Vitamins and some foods can change the shade, and your first pee of the morning will almost always be darker — that’s normal.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rote. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share