INSTRUCTIONS Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

instructions

noun

plural of instruction

as in directions

a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned needed an administrative assistant who was good at following instructions

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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 instructions For Gmail users, Google provides instructions for securing a hacked account. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026 The system would also be designed to respond proactively to events, rather than waiting for explicit instructions. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026 That is why the Bible’s instructions for building an altar speak so clearly to our American moment. — Seth Limmer, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026 We were issued metal water bottles for bringing ashore, and followed strict instructions on not bringing any food off the ship, and disinfecting our boots before and after stepping ashore to keep Antarctica pristine. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026 Clean your washer and dryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. — Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 31 Oct. 2026 Winnie responds to Julia’s departure by working harder, and her care reaches her daughters as a stream of instructions and corrections. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026 Synthetic mRNA delivers the instructions on these specific targets, allowing the body to present them to immune cells. — Mike McRae 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026 Believing her daughter’s life was on the line, Del Mastro followed the caller’s instructions for five hours. — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructions

Noun

Subscribers must order at least two meal kits per week from a rotating menu featuring dozens of recipes with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step directions.

— Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Service on the line is back to normal in both directions, a SEPTA spokesperson said.

— CBS Philadelphia, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of directions

Noun

An independent investigation by a group of experts into the canopy collapse found the renovation work had been rushed under political orders.

— MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
After following orders to walk backward and drop to his knees, he was placed in handcuffs and questioned by officers from Dunwoody and the neighboring community of Doraville.

— Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of orders

Noun

But this exploitation of Catholic bishops who were praying for their president, not delivering papal edicts with political patinas, feels especially repulsive.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
In the years that followed, predatory land purchases, restrictive edicts, and forced displacement further diminished their ranks.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of edicts

Noun

The proclamation reiterates the administration's goals with NASA's Artemis program to return American astronauts to the moon by 2028 and eventually sending astronauts to Mars, but introduces no new funding, programs or policy directives.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
State agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol have aggressively pursued ICE directives.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of directives

Noun

This is, of course, the conception of fundamentalist theology, which threatens eternal hellfire for anyone who defies its commandments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Wilde’s nine buttercream commandments show home bakers how to create visually striking, deeply personal cakes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of commandments

Noun

The state is also seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions and other orders to prevent the landfill operator from violating the waste control laws.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Right-leaning lawmakers have also expressed their wish to curtail individual rulings from Supreme Court justices, who have often suspended laws, issued sweeping injunctions and made high-impact orders without the authorization of the full bench.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of injunctions

Browse Nearby Words

instructional

instructions

instructive

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Style

“Instructions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructions. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of instructions

noun

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