as in means
something used to achieve an end
computer literacy is only an instrumentality for acquiring an education, and not an end in itself
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instrumentality
Amtrak is also not considered a department, agency or instrumentality of the United States Government and its overseeing regulatory body, the OIG, remains open during shutdowns as well.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
But the instrumentality of so many of his characters seems to have reached a nadir in The City and Its Uncertain Walls.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
Moore said Tuesday, after the meeting, that the city controlling the budget would not be a legal conflict of interest, as the PAB is an instrumentality of Baltimore City.
—Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024
To effect these seizures, the FBI will simultaneously issue commands that will interfere with the hackers’ control over the instrumentalities of their crimes (the Target Devices), including by preventing the hackers from easily re-infecting the Target Devices with KV Botnet malware.
a.
—Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for instrumentality
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
But the instrumentality of so many of his characters seems to have reached a nadir in The City and Its Uncertain Walls.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
Moore said Tuesday, after the meeting, that the city controlling the budget would not be a legal conflict of interest, as the PAB is an instrumentality of Baltimore City.
—Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024
To effect these seizures, the FBI will simultaneously issue commands that will interfere with the hackers’ control over the instrumentalities of their crimes (the Target Devices), including by preventing the hackers from easily re-infecting the Target Devices with KV Botnet malware.
a.
—Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for instrumentality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrumentality
Noun
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About 7 million barrels per day of that loss is being made up through other means, like the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates and the release of strategic reserves, according to Kpler data.—
Victor Ordonez,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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But Reich says philanthropy is still regularly used by people with means to cultivate their reputations.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fairlead Strategies or its affiliates may have positions in financial instruments mentioned, may have acquired such positions at prices no longer available, and may have interests different from or adverse to your interests or inconsistent with the advice herein.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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Sound healing — also known as sound baths, journeys, immersions and meditations — is the use of instruments to move listeners into therapeutic brainwave states.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Wise served as an FBI agent and a supervisory agent from 2004 to 2017.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The task force, consisting of county detectives and FBI agents, is separate from the initial homicide squad assigned to the case.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The market is full of vehicles that blur the line between a traditional e-bike and something closer to a motorcycle, and manufacturers don’t always make the distinction easy to spot.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Traffic cameras show emergency vehicles in the area.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Beyond delivering machinery and expertise, co-development with Sulzer should strengthen Spinnova’s offering to scale up its technology.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Despite bombardment and economic collapse, the regime’s machinery of repression is fully active.—
Kazem Kazerounian,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term directing federal agencies not to recognize the citizenship of babies born in the United States if neither parent is a citizen or lawful permanent resident.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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That’s because developers reportedly went to other agencies, most often Port KC, or weren’t subject to the requirements.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Then the drones detach from their charging mechanism and take off.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The snacks on this list cost almost nothing and address the underlying mechanism behind most 3 AM wake-ups.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Most organ transplant patients are adults, but last year, there were more than 1,800 lifesaving operations performed on children.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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But the organ that senses those hormones is usually separate from the one that delivers the sperm; in male octopuses, the hectocotylus does both.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instrumentality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrumentality. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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