as in essential
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Recent Examples of instrumental
Ball was sworn in as Winfield’s first town marshal on Aug. 26, 2014, and was instrumental in starting up the new police department a month later.
—
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
DeFord Bailey, a Black harmonica player whose influence spread to country and blues genres, was the first artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which became instrumental in setting Nashville up as a major country music hub.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 27 May 2025
Conclusion Federal investment in R&D has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining the United States’ technological and economic leadership.
—Natalie Madeira Cofield, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Professional unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already instrumental in conservation efforts and engineering projects, but even personal use drones do more than recording cool aerial shots of your vacation.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
DeFord Bailey, a Black harmonica player whose influence spread to country and blues genres, was the first artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which became instrumental in setting Nashville up as a major country music hub.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 27 May 2025
Conclusion Federal investment in R&D has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining the United States’ technological and economic leadership.
—Natalie Madeira Cofield, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Professional unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already instrumental in conservation efforts and engineering projects, but even personal use drones do more than recording cool aerial shots of your vacation.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrumental
Adjective
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Captions are essential, especially on mobile devices or in quiet settings.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Emotional requirements: Compassion, patience and resilience are all essential but don’t expect emotional support in return.—
JJ Holmes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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The real question is whether their presence changes the fundamental nature of what these events represent.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
10 June 2025
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This cyclical demand impacts not just transaction volumes but also Circle’s fundamental revenue stream, which consists of interest income from reserves.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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But policy continuity is key to attracting the foreign investment necessary to realize these goals.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
13 June 2025
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This can lead you to eat fewer calories and create a calorie deficit, which is necessary for fat loss.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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The only active pitchers besides Kershaw considered Hall of Fame locks are Justin Verlander and Scherzer, both hard throwers with the requisite strikeout totals.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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Senior White House officials and congressional Republicans told the Washington Examiner that, behind closed doors, Trump employed both carrots and sticks to flip the requisite votes.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The basic premise was that given the seriousness of the issues at hand, the heads of State themselves needed to work out a coordinated strategy.—
Robert Hormats,
Time,
10 June 2025
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The drones and their release systems had to be tested in these demanding conditions to validate their ability to carry out the basic components of the mission.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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Business leaders must shift their focus from simply acquiring AI tools to strategically embedding them within human-centric processes, ensuring that twice literate humans are in the loop, empowered and indispensable.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Vest: Brunello Cucinelli Photo : Photographed by Luke Dickey/Styled by Alex Badia An indispensable garment for a certain segment of professional males, the vest is, frankly, quite practical.—
Naomi Rougeau,
Robb Report,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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The bill will prohibit cell-phone use throughout the school day in elementary and middle schools.—
News Service Of Florida,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2025
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Thirty-two busloads of elementary students from Title 1 schools throughout San Diego County eagerly hopped off buses during the week of May 12-16 to enjoy an enriching, exciting, and totally fun Plant*Grow*Eat morning at the Del Mar Fairgrounds’ Infield Farm.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrumental. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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