as in tendency
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
left to her own devices she'd eat at a fast-food restaurant every night of the week
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Recent Examples of devices
Perhaps most striking were allegations that Navarro bought silicone pregnancy props and tracking devices.
—
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Designed for modern professionals, this sleek backpack features anti-theft design elements to keep laptops and other devices extra secure.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Marches or parades that require blocking traffic or street closures, large rallies requiring the use of sound amplifying devices or rallies over a certain size may require permits.
—Hannah Hudnall, IndyStar, 26 Mar. 2026
Brown himself buys devices off eBay or pulls them from e-waste bins.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
Using satellite tracking devices in a collaboration between the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, scientists are learning how well sea turtles can survive in the wild after losing a limb.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Indeed, Hamilton says that in her experience, most runners, when left to their own devices, do all of their easy runs at a faster-than-necessary pace.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 20 Mar. 2026
Later, O’Brien touted a fake company tasked with reformatting movies for smaller and smaller handheld devices, but the joke missed the mark.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Apple offers a basic one-year warranty on new devices, but AppleCare+ takes that protection up a notch.
—PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Designed for modern professionals, this sleek backpack features anti-theft design elements to keep laptops and other devices extra secure.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Marches or parades that require blocking traffic or street closures, large rallies requiring the use of sound amplifying devices or rallies over a certain size may require permits.
—Hannah Hudnall, IndyStar, 26 Mar. 2026
Brown himself buys devices off eBay or pulls them from e-waste bins.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
Using satellite tracking devices in a collaboration between the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, scientists are learning how well sea turtles can survive in the wild after losing a limb.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Indeed, Hamilton says that in her experience, most runners, when left to their own devices, do all of their easy runs at a faster-than-necessary pace.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 20 Mar. 2026
Later, O’Brien touted a fake company tasked with reformatting movies for smaller and smaller handheld devices, but the joke missed the mark.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Apple offers a basic one-year warranty on new devices, but AppleCare+ takes that protection up a notch.
—PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devices
Noun
-
A lot of dance music leans more dark and some of his melodic tendencies are brighter in a way, more major key.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
-
History may not repeat, but it sure as hell has a tendency to trigger the occasional sense of déjà vu.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Flutie played beyond his physical abilities partly because of his aptitude.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
What Godoy does have a great aptitude for, however, is video games.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If conservatism is something of an inclination or disposition, leftism of the more radical sort is a form of all-consuming identity, one that fills vacuums in otherwise empty lives and comprehensively guides behavior.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the 2010s, having an affinity for Lil B was almost like membership in a secret society of listeners whose ears were attuned to the same oddball frequency.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Her long-standing affinity for John Galliano, Dior, and Giorgio Armani, paired with her own contemporary vision through the goop brand, reflects a deep understanding of luxury living.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mutual affection was also evident onstage, especially in a dazzling account of Gershwin’s American in Paris.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
His affection for the countryside is also reflected in his watercolors.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, the franchise is caught between the competing impulses to preserve its legacy as a romantic ideal and to modernize itself for an audience that no longer believes in that mirage — resulting, most recently, in a casting that was doomed to fail on all fronts.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
-
However, emotional impulses to act are not enough to justify war.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ronald’s successor at the center of the story is Anthony Norman, another young man with an open face and an inviting disposition.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Before filing the Order to Show Cause, the Enforcement Division gives the subject the opportunity to resolve the matter through a disposition agreement.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devices. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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