1
as in certificate
a written or printed paper giving information about or proof of something a valid will is a legal instrument

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
3
4
as in pawn
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another the claim that the scientists are mere instruments of the tobacco companies, who pay them to produce findings that are highly suspect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of instrument are appliance, implement, tool, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

When can appliance be used instead of instrument?

The words appliance and instrument can be used in similar contexts, but appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

When could implement be used to replace instrument?

While the synonyms implement and instrument are close in meaning, implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

How are the words tool and implement related as synonyms of instrument?

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 is utensil a more appropriate choice than instrument?

The synonyms utensil and instrument are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 instrument The presentation of the dash and center console is an exercise in juxtaposition, with analog instrument gauges contrasted by an Alpine touchscreen display. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025 Cornell would arrive at the scene of these disturbances in a suit and tie, carrying a bag containing notepads, tape recorders, cameras and, on occasion, other, homemade instruments. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 One of the biggest challenges facing the piano maker is a potential shortage of Sitka spruce lumber, which Steiner said makes the very best instruments. Joel Williams, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025 All of this can be accessed via the 5-inch TFT instrument cluster, which is Bluetooth-enabled. New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instrument
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrument
Noun
  • Barker also started the two-step graduation certificate ceremony.
    Alexa Stone Updated October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Miller pleaded guilty last week to intentionally making or signing a false certificate.
    Jack Dura, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For Lauren, the idea for their current AI tool began 25 years ago.
    Tharin Pillay, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • But your browser is where all of your work, tools, and context come together.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • They are left wielding the tools of instrumentality: in-groups and cliques, buying effort through more money, coercive employment agreements and suits against whistleblowers.
    Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • Holding the weight of cotton’s influence on the world, and thus the instrumentality of Black labor, is painful, yet necessary work.
    Cierra Black, Essence, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • My values include the beliefs that all of our students should feel safe, respected, and valued in our schools, that decisions should be made on the best available evidence and data, that our kids are not political pawns, that inclusion creates opportunity, and that schools shouldn’t ban books.
    Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Remember the big picture, people, and stop using taxpayers as pawns, or worse yet, collateral damage.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Currently, more than 90 percent of Crystal’s factories have earned sustainable material certifications such as the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and the Organic Cotton Standard (OCS).
    Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Carmody said the predictive analysis system is patent pending, and undertaking other certifications, and anticipates its release in February next year.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That means more than one of every eight of Kroger's 103 stores in its Cincinnati-Dayton division (which includes Northern Kentucky) have the digital devices so far.
    Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Nielsen, which tracks television ratings, now includes more modern devices in its tracking, an adjustment that has been expected to show higher sports viewership across the board.
    The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Smokeless tobacco is considered anything from snuff, snus, chewing tobacco, moist snuff and any other tobacco intended to be used or consumed by any means.
    Dana Afana, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The administration has argued its work is a long-overdue means of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After the crash, the SUV was reportedly struck by a tractor-trailer that was traveling in the right lane behind the vehicle.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The child was found by her mother three hours later, with internal vehicle temperatures having reached over 108 degrees.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instrument.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrument. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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