formula

noun

Definition of formulanext
as in recipe
a set or series of actions or components that lead to a particular result The formula for the area of a rectangle is simple: multiply the width by the height. Hard work and dedication is a surefire formula for success.

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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 formula Enterprise software once relied heavily on salespeople and implementation partners, but AI is changing that formula. — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Jelk believes that your wedding day fragrance should be based on a feeling, not a formula. — Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately, those are the restrictions of Excel formulas, etc. — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The formula itself isn’t overly thick and is actually quite lightweight compared to others on the list. — Mary Honkus, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for formula
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formula
  1. recipe
  2. strategy
  3. procedure
  4. plan
  5. method
  6. approach
  7. scheme
Noun
  • Countless recipe cards don this very unhelpful tip on how long to cook something.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
  • After 15 years of experiments, Schumm’s group ended up with a recipe for solid calcium fluoride crystals, doped with little impurities of thorium 229, that looked like transparent millimeter-sized cubes.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of recipe
Noun
  • Protect a focus window, communicate one adjustment, and let rest become part of the strategy.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers stressed that the work represents a material-design strategy rather than a finished commercial battery.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of strategy
Noun
  • Charles announced he had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a prostate procedure.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Operating procedures are due in 60 days and will likely answer some of these questions.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of procedure
Noun
  • On Sunday, Kushner and Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya also held talks in Egypt to discuss the plan, according to a source familiar with the matter.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The ambitious redevelopment plan, approved in 2023, had a price tag of $660 million and called for more than 1,200 housing units, 70,000 square feet of commercial space and other amenities.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of plan
Noun
  • And while most of the puppets were hand-built using traditional Henson methods, the puppet for Carol Kane’s character, Commander Pelia, was slightly different.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Among wellness practitioners, a detox is usually intertwined with total healing and not focused on a single method.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of method
Noun
  • In other states, a patchwork of AI approaches has emerged, with variance from one school district to another.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The company says these behaviors point toward a different approach to robot programming.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of approach
Noun
  • Organized crime operations from several cities, including Chicago, New York and Detroit, had established control of casinos up and down the Vegas Strip and devised schemes to skim percentages of the cash under the noses of state regulators.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With Clark next to him in the 3-4 scheme, Williams flashed his strength and short-area quickness from the defensive interior each day in practice while battling against Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe and Tyler Booker.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of scheme

Browse Nearby Words

forms
formula
formulaic
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Cite this Entry

“Formula.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formula. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on formula

Nglish: Translation of formula for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about formula

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