implement 1 of 2

implement

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word implement different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of implement are appliance, instrument, tool, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

When can appliance be used instead of implement?

The meanings of appliance and implement largely overlap; however, appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

When is it sensible to use instrument instead of implement?

The words instrument and implement can be used in similar contexts, but instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

How are the words tool and implement related?

Tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.

a carpenter's tools

When could utensil be used to replace implement?

Although the words utensil and implement have much in common, utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.

kitchen utensils

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 implement
Verb
Quantum-resilient security measures must be implemented now, not retrofitted later. John Prisco, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Ahead of Vance's visit, Gov. Tony Evers' administration released a new analysis estimating the sweeping tax and spending law will cost the state $284 million every two years once fully implemented. Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
Satellite and other mapping images suggest the structure, which replaced an area of farm implements near the corner of County Roads 23 and 86A, was built around the same time. Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2025 All of these implements would have been strikingly familiar to hunter-gatherers of the modern Australian Bindibu, Tanzanian Hadza, or South African San people. ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for implement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for implement
Verb
  • In September, a federal judge prevented Utah from enforcing them.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025
  • In Kansas City, the city’s health department enforces the food code while in Kansas, the state’s Department of Agriculture handles inspections.
    Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In a 2004 study, the United States Institute of Peace said that hundreds of terrorist groups had migrated online, utilizing a tool meant for better communication for often nefarious purposes.
    Richard Frankel, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Meeting these expectations has put real strain on automotive retail, challenging dealers to know when to rely on intelligent tools—and when to step in with human expertise.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The devices nearly saturated the ground, and boosted humidity in the grove by 20%, dampening fire spread, Zwierzchowski said.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Verizon claimed that Section 222 of the Communications Act covers only call-location data, as opposed to device location data.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Implement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/implement. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on implement

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