EXERCISES Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

exercises 1 of 2

noun

plural of exercise

as in practices

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

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Relevance

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

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exercises

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of exercise

as in exerts

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

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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

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as in applies

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

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as in alarms

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the slightest change in travel plans is enough to get him all exercised

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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

Noun

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has assured visitors that the country has a proper security plan for the event, including specialized training for officials, planning and operational exercises, early warning systems and security measures around stadiums, airports, roads and hotels. —

Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 China has held major military exercises near the island. —

ABC News, 14 June 2026 An analysis conducted by the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office reviewed several possible explanations, including military exercises and flare deployments occurring nearby. —

Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026 Aim to include pulling exercises in your workout routine—use a rep range of 8–12—at least twice a week, said Delgado-Lugo. —

Christa Sgobba, Health, 12 June 2026 These exercises included marching in place, stair step-ups, and fast bodyweight squats, all of which could be performed at home with no equipment and without dedicating a large block of time. —

Jennifer Klump, Verywell Health, 12 June 2026 Other experts swear by deep breathing exercises. —

Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 12 June 2026 Breathing exercises can help relieve some big feelings that come with anxious attachment, helping to work through emotional volatility. —

Taylor Grothe, Parents, 11 June 2026 South Metro Fire Rescue's dive team, which was conducting training exercises nearby, responded within minutes. —

Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 7 June 2026

Verb

Zellweger gained nearly 20 pounds to play the character, who drinks often and exercises intermittently. —

Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 June 2026 But Collins, who's been in the upper chamber since 1997 and exercises significant power as chair of the Appropriations Committee, has fended off a number of challenges from Democrats in previous cycles, including in 2020 when Joe Biden won the state. —

Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 9 June 2026 The state is the country acting as a political unit and imposing its will by means of government bureaucracy, the military, and any other entity that exercises power on behalf of the country. —

Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026 If LaVine exercises his $49 million player option for next season, the Kings are projected to have a team payroll of about $225 million, which would put them well over the NBA’s luxury tax threshold of $201 million and above the second apron of $222 million. —

Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026 The shooter Stephane Cardinale, veteran of runways and red carpets on every continent that has them, exercises his fine eye for notable off-duty folk just being themselves here. —

Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 The vessel is expected to participate in the upcoming Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises off the coast of Hawaii later this year. —

Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercises

Noun

In business, this manifests as predatory practices that destroy broader value.

— Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
But more awareness and better practices didn’t stop McAfee’s customers from continuing to get sick — in 2007, and 2011, and 2012, and 2016 — and the farm had to issue recalls more than half a dozen times after pathogens were found in its products.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 14 June 2026