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
Freight rate indices such as Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) and the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) have seen a rapid rebound in recent weeks as more carriers scramble to blank sailings and implement new general rate increases to keep prices stable. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2025 The childcare crisis is another reason why there is a growing gender gap in remote work as more employers start implementing return-to-office policies. Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Develop, implement and practice evacuation plans and communication protocols. Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025 Stained with ochre, the stone implements were part of her last rites. Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for implement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for implement
Verb
  • The president’s comments come after his administration expanded a federal program that deputizes local police to enforce immigration laws, signing up nearly 16,000 officers across 40 states as part of an effort to boost deportations, according to data reviewed by Bloomberg News.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Referees could enforce wearing pants but typically don’t, since there doesn’t seem to be pressure from coaches or the NCAA to do so.
    Alex Valdes, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Microsoft unveiled a new category of PC that features generative artificial intelligence tools built into Windows, the company's world-leading operating system.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
  • When selecting a specific use case to pursue, Pantone considered the struggles its customers had previously brought to the company’s attention and surveyed other tools on the market for designers and creatives.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Moffett is the author of two short story collections, as well as The Silent History, a narrative app for mobile devices.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The show leans into this offensive, problematic plot device without any self-awareness.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Implement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/implement. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on implement

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