1
2
as in uses
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
1
2
as in drills
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 applies
to put into action or service
commended the firefighters for exercising really good judgment in that emergency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in alarms
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the slightest change in travel plans is enough to get him all exercised
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 exercises
David Chou, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Rebuilding strength in his leg muscles required regular gym exercises with lead rehab physio Richard Clark, including walking on an anti-gravity treadmill, deadlifts, box jumps, split squats with weights, balancing drills and running on a small trampoline.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Kate usually takes the ring off for particularly messy engagements, like Girl Scout meetups, or physically intense ones, like military exercises.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
Both moves are body-weight exercises that require no equipment and minimal space.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 15 May 2026
Weight-bearing, resistance, and balance exercises offer the greatest benefits.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 14 May 2026
China regularly conducts military exercises around Taiwan in an ongoing show of force.
—Tony Dokoupil, CBS News, 14 May 2026
The two were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, annual multinational military exercises held in Morocco.
—Akram Oubachir, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The Air also has a wide range of trackable activities and exercises in its repertoire.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Whether or not the mayor exercises that power is subjective, Bounds said.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
The result looks a bit like the internet sensation the Crooked Man, who exercises his left trapezius and nothing else.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Relaxation exercises Stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and tensing and relaxing muscle groups can calm the nervous system and help patients feel more in control of their symptoms, says Moss.
—Mark Marino, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Organized crime exercises de facto control over vast swaths of the country, where the discovery of clandestine graves is commonplace, and thousands of corpses remain unidentified in morgues and public cemeteries.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
While the client is alive, Trinity exercises power of attorney.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
During one of the sobriety exercises, Woods repeatedly moved his head despite instructions to keep it still, requiring deputies to correct him several times, according to the report.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Limited exercise Maduro Guerra also claimed that his father exercises every day.
—María Santana, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
Senior leaders must observe the exercises and act on findings.
—David Chou, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Rebuilding strength in his leg muscles required regular gym exercises with lead rehab physio Richard Clark, including walking on an anti-gravity treadmill, deadlifts, box jumps, split squats with weights, balancing drills and running on a small trampoline.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Kate usually takes the ring off for particularly messy engagements, like Girl Scout meetups, or physically intense ones, like military exercises.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
Both moves are body-weight exercises that require no equipment and minimal space.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 15 May 2026
Weight-bearing, resistance, and balance exercises offer the greatest benefits.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 14 May 2026
China regularly conducts military exercises around Taiwan in an ongoing show of force.
—Tony Dokoupil, CBS News, 14 May 2026
The two were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, annual multinational military exercises held in Morocco.
—Akram Oubachir, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The Air also has a wide range of trackable activities and exercises in its repertoire.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
Verb
Chapter amendments narrowed the scope considerably, giving the RAISE Act a cleaner threshold case than SB 53, but the cost analysis turns almost entirely on how the oversight body exercises rulemaking authority, a structural risk the bill does not constrain.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Whether or not the mayor exercises that power is subjective, Bounds said.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
The result looks a bit like the internet sensation the Crooked Man, who exercises his left trapezius and nothing else.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Relaxation exercises Stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and tensing and relaxing muscle groups can calm the nervous system and help patients feel more in control of their symptoms, says Moss.
—Mark Marino, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Organized crime exercises de facto control over vast swaths of the country, where the discovery of clandestine graves is commonplace, and thousands of corpses remain unidentified in morgues and public cemeteries.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
While the client is alive, Trinity exercises power of attorney.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
During one of the sobriety exercises, Woods repeatedly moved his head despite instructions to keep it still, requiring deputies to correct him several times, according to the report.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Limited exercise Maduro Guerra also claimed that his father exercises every day.
—María Santana, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercises
Noun
-
Large says it was well farmed from day one, including being planted with massal selection vines and using biodynamic and organic practices.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
17 May 2026
-
Though laid to rest with a rich assortment of personal items and grave goods, the presence of substances in her grave spoke to the rituals and treatment of the body after death, revealing practices afforded to the Roman elite.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Charlotte office renovations and conversions Post-COVID, office towers have to either entice people to come back to the cubicle or change uses.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
-
On top of that, newer LLMs will likely improve in medical uses—Wachter suggests that some models might eventually undergo board certification, as actual physicians do.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Mechanism of action Cisplatin exerts its effects by interacting directly with DNA.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
-
The governor exerts much control over education priorities through the state budget.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The measure applies only to the Senate, not the House, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two chambers over responsibility for funding the federal government.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
This applies especially for pets, because the algae can be extremely dangerous to their health.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The focal point of escalating concern is oldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) whose increasingly erratic behavior alarms those around him, not only for his safety but others as well.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
-
Whether that future excites or alarms fans, the law—not nostalgia or tradition—will determine who suits up in March.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
How many hotels make free lessons in language, hula, lei making, and ukulele a round-the-clock endeavor?—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
14 May 2026
-
Fifty-one years later, Three Days of the Condor offers business leaders lessons in individual resilience, creative problem solving in chaos and the value of transparency under pressure.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Commodity applications will remain everywhere.—
Max Votek,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Nonetheless, several competitors, like Cursor or Augment Code, are actively exploring what domain-specific structure might do for specialized applications.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG), which relies on electrical signals, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which utilizes blood flow, were employed to measure how the brain responds to its environment.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
-
Another option is to choose a soap that utilizes natural ingredients.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exercises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exercises. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
