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
Indeed, one of the feminist movement’s most radical and idealistic intellectual branches, a 1970s campaign called Wages for Housework, advocated for policies that, if ever implemented, genuinely might set off a baby boom. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025 And more than a dozen districts around Japan have been in touch to discuss implementing similar projects. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Noun
Stain-resistant and harmless to non-stick cookware, each implement has a handle made of durable 430 stainless steel that prevents it from snapping off. Ho Lin, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025 That’s because the pardon is an inherently Caesarean implement. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for implement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for implement
Verb
  • However, after the Supreme Court ruled last week that the Trump administration can enforce the ban amid the pending lawsuits, Cmdr.
    Deena Zaru, ABC News, 19 May 2025
  • The campaign will include the use of AI social media monitoring tools that will help the league enforce a revised code of conduct.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • These foods serve as guilt-free pick-me-ups and stress relievers, used as tools for temporary self-soothing.
    Christine Michel Carter, Parents, 20 May 2025
  • In practice, the marketing language around these tools tends not to capture the ways that actual humans use them.
    Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • At that point, the OS will be fairly mature and connected to all the important devices.
    Daisuke Takimoto, Wired News, 27 May 2025
  • This method typically includes large volumes of granular data such as cookies, device IDs and timestamps across multiple channels.
    Rahul Wankhede, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Implement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/implement. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on implement

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