mechanism

noun

Definition of mechanismnext
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

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 mechanism The Bulls also sent ball screens to help any ballhandler, a mechanism that will be crucial for freeing up space. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 The administration’s hostility to the principle and mechanisms of international legal accountability makes eminent if cynical sense in light of its many transgressions. — Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of soldiers were assigned to a 24/7 mechanism, linking the air force, intelligence and the IDF’s Southern Command to protect the hostages from Israel’s own offensive. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Cuba has no standard procedure to identify victims and no national referral mechanism. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mechanism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mechanism
  1. apparatus
  2. system
  3. device
  4. method
  5. machine
  6. process
  7. tool
  8. procedure
Noun
  • The picture painted from the interview subjects, who occasionally draw sketches of weapons-screen interfaces on notepads, is of a computerized tracking-and-killing apparatus, culled from the surveillance Israel keeps of nearly every phone in Gaza.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators said Zhang attended China's University of International Relations in Beijing, which the FBI described as closely associated with China's intelligence apparatus.
    — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of apparatus
Noun
  • Russia’s constant attacks on factories, energy supply systems and the railways means that steel supply to the Ukrainian armed forces is also being degraded.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This can include large appliances like your washer and dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher and garbage disposal, or systems such as plumbing, heating, A/C and the electrical system.
    — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of system
Noun
  • Known as the FiberMotor, the device was developed by a team of researchers at the EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) university in Switzerland.
    — Ben Coxworth October 11, New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Silver said players routinely use wearable devices off the court to monitor everything from sleep to physical performance, but concerns remain over how data collected during games could be used by teams.
    — Jessica Golden, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of device
Noun
  • Another notable dual winner was Frederick Sanger, who won in 1958 for sequencing the amino acids that make up insulin, and again in 1980 for developing a method to sequence strands DNA.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Treatments follow Thai, Chinese, and Indian healing methods, and the cavernous aqua-therapy lounge with sauna and vitality pool is a blissful hangout after a massage.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of method
Noun
  • Lab technician Aleksej Kubelka carefully opened the large machine and slid out a tray.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at Fudan University in China have bypassed onboard storage entirely by turning the ground beneath the machine into a power supply.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • The actual counting process proved to be a complex challenge.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The process servers and bailiffs carry around pitch decks for killer apps.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of process
Noun
  • There’s the plush seating area for makeup, hair, and comfortable waiting, of course, but there’s also a bathroom replete with outlets for styling tools and with multiple sinks.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • This year's prizes began with the Nobel for medicine, awarded Monday to three scientists whose work led to a tool that uses light to help unravel how the brain works.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of tool
Noun
  • For private schemes, the requirements include publicly available criteria, independent monitoring of compliance and procedures to withdraw or suspend a label when requirements are breached.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The school falls back on procedure to keep a lid on things, and a school violence review committee wraps up without a firm finding.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of procedure

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Cite this Entry

“Mechanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mechanism. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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