exercise 1 of 2

1
2
as in practice
something done over and over in order to develop skill a young piano student dutifully going through the standard finger exercises

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in use
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose the observation that the best exercise for losing weight is the exercise of one's ability to say no to food

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exercise

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to exert
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively a senator who consistently exercises his clout in Congress to get pork barrel projects for his state

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to practice
to do over and over so as to become skilled the only way to exercise your writing skills is to do more writing

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to use
to put into action or service commended the firefighters for exercising really good judgment in that emergency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

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 exercise
Noun
To understand how different types of exercise affect metabolism, researchers fed mice a high-fat diet to mimic human obesity and insulin resistance, which are two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025 One robot was destroyed by light gunfire during the exercise. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
The six men’s games came available because Mountain West TV partners CBS and Fox Sports declined to exercise their option to televise them. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025 Did Lynne exercise a lot of freedom on the set? Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exercise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercise
Noun
  • In addition to the murder charge, Thompson faces charges of committing a terroristic act, aggravated assault, engaging in violent criminal group activity and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to the jail roster.
    Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The pageant activities began on Sunday in Bangkok.
    Anabella González, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But the nation's approximately 232 million people are split near evenly between Muslims and Christians, with smaller percentages following other practices, including indigenous beliefs.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • This practice had its own history, another tributary to the overshoot conjuncture that weighed heavily on its future course.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use will be necessary to curb global heating, with the burning of coal, oil and gas identified as the chief driver of the climate crisis.
    Sam Meredith,Dan Murphy, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
  • This gave Gates, from the use of his private jet alone, the same carbon footprint as a small town in Burundi.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Vought has exerted extraordinary control over government spending this year, usurping congressional decisions on how the nation's money is used.
    Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
  • If rates rise unexpectedly, those low initial payments can balloon, exerting pressure on household budgets just as the broader economy absorbs the impact.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Regional restrictions may apply.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Future research could explore whether similar biases apply to other visible traits, such as race or disability.
    Abby Frank, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The clanging of dirty dishes being gathered in the back kitchen does not bother her.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Instagram and TikTok are littered with stories of women and their unsupportive husbands, men who can't remember their own children's birthdays or be bothered to take a weekend off from their golf hobby to spend time with their families.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Everyone else, especially children, should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Millan says that meeting your dog's needs for physical exertion is a key part of ensuring good behavior.
    Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While the Leafs pumped Hildeby’s tires leading into this season — and it was deserved after a great training camp — his appearance Saturday marked his first in the NHL this season.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Some 65% of the nonprofit’s most server-straining traffic now comes from bots, some of which scrape the site to feed into chatbots for training.
    Harry Booth, Time, 9 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exercise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exercise. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on exercise

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!