practice 1 of 2

variants also practise

practice

2 of 2

verb

variants also practise
as in to exercise
to do over and over so as to become skilled in order to play the guitar well, you need to practice fingering every single day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun practice differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of practice are custom, habit, usage, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

When is it sensible to use custom instead of practice?

The words custom and practice can be used in similar contexts, but custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

When can habit be used instead of practice?

In some situations, the words habit and practice are roughly equivalent. However, habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When could usage be used to replace practice?

Although the words usage and practice have much in common, usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

When is wont a more appropriate choice than practice?

While the synonyms wont and practice are close in meaning, wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

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 practice
Noun
Thursday’s practice resulted in C.J. West (knee) joining a steady stream of injured defensive linemen: Nick Bosa (neck soreness), Mykel Williams (knee), Jordan Elliott (back), Kevin Givens (pectoral), Robert Beal Jr. (groin), and, Tarron Jackson (neck; injured reserve). Cam Inman, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025 Starting wide receiver Tyreek Hill did not participate in team drills at either joint practice with the Lions this past week. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Society of Emergency Medicine PAs outlines training and experience PAs should have before practicing in rural areas or without on-site doctors. Arielle Zionts. Kff Health News, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025 The Dolphins are also practicing without Andrew Meyer, the team’s top backup center. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for practice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practice
Noun
  • The rehearsals began at 12:45 p.m. with more than five rehearsals for different numbers.
    Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
  • After the conclusion of each broadcast of Camel Caravan, host Walter O’Keefe invited the folks to stick around, watch the rehearsals for the next show and provide feedback.
    Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • That irrelevancy may come with the passing of time and the changing of habits from one generation to the next, but for now, Match of the Day remains the pillar of English football’s TV schedule.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Gradually, the habit evolved into purging food and then into a way to maintain his weight.
    Noelle Wiehe, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • While maintaining a strict cleansing and conditioning regimen is recommended, a nourishing scalp scrub seamlessly elevates your wash day routine with a deep clean.
    Tatayana Yomary, Essence, 12 Aug. 2025
  • This is one reason why people use coconut oil as part of their skin and oral care routines. 5.
    Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Judges appoint and can fire commissioners, who exercise similar functions as judges, such as accepting pleas and holding preliminary hearings, in the early stages of a case.
    John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson exercised his authority to take control of the National Guard in Alabama to have the troops protect civil rights advocates marching from Selma to the state's capital, Montgomery.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • After the war, an international tribunal, known as the Tokyo Trial — similar to the Nuremburg trials in Germany — sentenced seven Japanese officials to death for war crimes.
    Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Salvation Army trial focused on bring-bank collection, while the Dunelm x Salvation Army trial was on postal take-back collection.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The pattern is unmistakable: Trump approaches these encounters like a real estate developer staging a property showing, focused on creating an atmosphere of possibility rather than nailing down concrete commitments.
    Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
  • According to troopers, the driver of a Dodge Durango veered into an active construction pattern and hit a worker in the center median.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Stafford, a 17-year pro, has yet to participate in a team practice at training camp because of a back ailment, with the Sept. 7 season-opener against the visiting Houston Texans coming fast for L.A.
    Jay Paris, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Miami, which could use one more backup in its power rotation, could opt to fill the 15th spot before training camp or sometime early in the season.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • What begins as a strange ritual quickly unravels into a waking nightmare.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Designing an at-home spa experience in your own space transforms everyday routines into serene self-care rituals.
    Jené Luciani Sena , Caitlyn Martyn may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Practice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practice. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on practice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!