Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of method are fashion, manner, mode, system, and way. While all these words mean "the means taken or procedure followed in achieving an end," method implies an orderly logical arrangement usually in steps.

effective teaching methods

Where would fashion be a reasonable alternative to method?

The words fashion and method are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fashion may suggest a peculiar or characteristic way of doing something.

rushing about in his typical fashion

How do manner and mode relate to one another, in the sense of method?

Manner is close to mode but may imply a procedure or method that is individual or distinctive.

an odd manner of conducting

In what contexts can mode take the place of method?

Although the words mode and method have much in common, mode implies an order or course followed by custom, tradition, or personal preference.

the preferred mode of transportation

When can system be used instead of method?

While the synonyms system and method are close in meaning, system suggests a fully developed or carefully formulated method often emphasizing rational orderliness.

a filing system

When might way be a better fit than method?

The words way and method can be used in similar contexts, but way is very general and may be used for any of the preceding words.

has her own way of doing things

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 method The Self-Portrait Project, known globally for its socially conscious method of participatory photography, will lead production and photography. Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2025 They were secured in less than two days, using the company’s plug-and-play installation method. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025 Our editors have been sharing cleaning advice for more than a century, but not all of the scrubbing methods have stood the test of time. Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025 Pros of the One-Hour Cleaning Method The one-hour cleaning method is ideal for those of us who can sometimes have a hard time getting started on a task or simply want a more strategic approach to deep cleaning. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for method
Recent Examples of Synonyms for method
Noun
  • HydroSpread’s approach allows scientists to produce delicate, floating devices that would have been difficult or impossible to make using conventional methods.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
  • That was the American approach in 2018, even though the players chosen were notoriously wide off the tee, an unsuitable style for a famously narrow Paris course.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The performance drew praise for its elegance and control, with judges highlighting Efron’s growing command of ballroom technique.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Using advanced genomic and bioinformatic techniques, the team distinguished microbes that were lifelong companions inside the mammoth, and the ones that showed up later, after death.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Its strategy was similar to the fight against Mexican cartels and Colombian narcoguerillas.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Iñaki Gaztelumendi, the screen tourism expert leading the initiative, presented the new methodology during the event.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The study’s results uphold the methodology used to create the annual EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides and Produce and support its guidance on how people might reduce their exposure to a number of pesticides, Temkin added.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The way people typically die in intersections is often because of head-on and T-bone crashes, which the roundabout design addresses, Bryson said.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • At the same time, there is a bit of a cost on the world stage to the way that the president presents the United States.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
  • In August, Hron says the online research tool Westlaw unveiled Deep Research, an agentic workflow that can plan, review, and strategize legal research in a manner that emulates human work.
    John Kell, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Method.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/method. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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