1
as in apparatus
a mechanical part or group of parts used to perform a specific task
The printer's paper feeding mechanism is jammed.
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2
as in system
a series of actions used to achieve an end
She was stunned to learn that there was no mechanism in place to remedy the problem.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mechanism
One example is the T3 / reverse T3 (rT3) ratio, a biologically real mechanism linked to chronic illness and metabolic dysfunction.
—
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
So too does Helen, who handles her own feelings about Callie through her own coping mechanisms, some of which work, most of which don’t, and many of which center on building her own friendship with Minnie.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Habituation is the mechanism through which exposure to rewards leads to fading pleasure, but the devil is in the details, again.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Scientists are still identifying new species, building out the ICE COLD library, and working to understand the specific biological mechanisms at play.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mechanism
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
So too does Helen, who handles her own feelings about Callie through her own coping mechanisms, some of which work, most of which don’t, and many of which center on building her own friendship with Minnie.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Habituation is the mechanism through which exposure to rewards leads to fading pleasure, but the devil is in the details, again.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Scientists are still identifying new species, building out the ICE COLD library, and working to understand the specific biological mechanisms at play.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mechanism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mechanism
Noun
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Most communities across the state say the cost of new fire apparatus has surged beyond what their budgets can support.—
WGME-TV Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
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Two different visions While Wooster focused on the administration’s diplomatic approach, Holmes argued for significantly greater investment in Haiti’s security apparatus, with Haitians in the lead.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For Chinese consumers today, luxury is being redefined from external markers of status to internal systems of meaning.—
Yiling Pan,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
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These boats have the vertical launch system (VLS), which could be used to fire new high-speed anti-ship missiles displayed at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing last fall.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The devices are set to broadcast continuously at 457 kHz.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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The film explores the complicated colonial history of Puerto Rico through Western/historical drama storytelling devices.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But global warming threw a wrench into this method.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Credit cards, debit cards and mobile payment methods are accepted.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Once chewed up by the machine of expectation and found guilty of the eternal athletic sin of having too much talent too soon, Liu has since learned how to spit back rather than be spit out.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Then, a machine-learning system decodes the visual patterns back into digital data.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Many of the hospital’s patients who were accompanied by ICE agents over the last month or so came in after being injured while in custody or during the process of being detained, the doctor said.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Over the past several weeks, Israel has launched a contentious land regulation process that will deepen its control in the occupied West Bank.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On Tuesday, tech startup Altruist announced a new tax planning feature for Hazel, the company’s AI tool.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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According to a report from Axios, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to ByteDance, accusing the company of distributing and reproducing its intellectual property through the new AI tool without permission.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The episode delves into the confidential medical procedure to collect DNA and evidence and gives one of the most detailed depictions of the process for television.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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This is a common question because the terms rhinoplasty and septorhinoplasty sound similar but actually refer to different types of procedures.—
Carlos Wolf,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mechanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mechanism. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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