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employ

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb employ contrast with its synonyms?

The words use and utilize are common synonyms of employ. While all three words mean "to put into service especially to attain an end," employ suggests the use of a person or thing that is available but idle, inactive, or disengaged.

looking for better ways to employ their skills

Where would use be a reasonable alternative to employ?

Although the words use and employ have much in common, use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end.

willing to use any means to achieve her ends

When is it sensible to use utilize instead of employ?

While the synonyms utilize and employ are close in meaning, utilize may suggest the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something.

an old wooden bucket utilized as a planter

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 employ
Verb
Mexican drug cartels have long employed sophisticated technical means to track law enforcement officials and conceal their own internal activities. ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025 Advertisement Most working-age adults on Medicaid are employed, or have a disability or caregiving responsibilities, according to KFF. Solcyré Burga, Time, 30 June 2025
Noun
And the margins informed how people in the magazine’s employ lived. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 What kinds of metrics does a good AI literacy program employ? Ben Jones, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for employ
Recent Examples of Synonyms for employ
Verb
  • Verint Systems, a $1.2 billion maker of software for call centers, has hired bankers to seek a buyer, according to people familiar with the matter.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 1 July 2025
  • Portland made headlines last week after deciding to part ways with president Inky Son less than three months after she was hired, underlining the risk of short launch timelines for newcomers.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Taiwanese soldiers stand by for a drill using an MIM-104 Patriot short-range anti-aircraft missile system at an air base in Taichung City, central Taiwan, on January 8, 2025.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
  • When his young son Walter (Roman Griffin Davis) and Walter’s cat upend the performance with their unruly behavior, Charles’s wife, Catherine (Thurman), persuades Charles not to punish the kid but instead to use the opportunity to teach him about Jesus (Isaac).
    Chris DeVille, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
Noun
  • In the past, foundational technology shifts have led to greater employment as new sectors and businesses were born.
    MoneyShow, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • If Trump’s policy ultimately stands, children born in the U.S. whose parents are undocumented immigrants or visa holders could be left stateless, denied passports, Social Security numbers and access to education or employment.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a once-promising driver who is recruited to help his friend and former driver, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who is in danger of being ousted by the board of his racing team.
    Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 26 June 2025
  • To help cope with his inability to sleep, Jackson recruited his on-and-off personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who would eventually be charged with the musician’s death.
    Alex Gurley, People.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Instead of using a traditional app, the program utilizes a digital wallet system and focuses on frequency.
    Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 5 July 2025
  • At least three medical helicopters were utilized to transport victims to local hospitals, per The Outlook and ABC 33-40.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • Freyer was the inaugural CEO of Champions of Change Coalition, which engages leaders in accelerating progress on gender equality.
    Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
  • As a practical matter, Trump’s predecessors — including Barack Obama — have engaged actual troops in places without seeking or obtaining congressional permission.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Pauline’s ability to inhale the essence of materials like gold and apply it to her voice makes her words more lethal than anything DK can do solo.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
  • Instead, apply a clean dressing over the eye and go to the hospital immediately.
    Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Pratt’s conviction kept him behind bars for 27 years, and the case haunted Cochran, who believed Pratt was innocent and who had made a mistake at trial that prosecutors skillfully exploited.
    Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
  • The risk was leaving big spaces out wide that could be exploited in transition, by Juventus’ wing-backs especially.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Employ.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/employ. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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