practice 1 of 2

variants also practise

practice

2 of 2

verb

variants also practise
as in to exercise
to do over and over so as to become skilled in order to play the guitar well, you need to practice fingering every single day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun practice differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of practice are custom, habit, usage, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

When is it sensible to use custom instead of practice?

The words custom and practice can be used in similar contexts, but custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

When can habit be used instead of practice?

In some situations, the words habit and practice are roughly equivalent. However, habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When could usage be used to replace practice?

Although the words usage and practice have much in common, usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

When is wont a more appropriate choice than practice?

While the synonyms wont and practice are close in meaning, wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

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 practice
Noun
But a series of lousy draft picks and a lack of an attractive infrastructure — that imaginary permanent practice facility is being built any day now! — have kept them from acquiring the sort of superstars that carry teams in crunch time, the kind of difference-makers this town deserves. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025 Topics to be covered include commodity conservation practices, adding a rotation (winter wheat), diversifying and building market channels for diversified crops. Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Verb
Summertime is an ideal time to practice setting boundaries around your time and energy. Essence, 26 June 2025 While the film crew often had advanced access to racetracks and were able to practice various shots and sequences, the nature of the Vegas Grand Prix left no room for such preparation. Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for practice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practice
Noun
  • Sabbath shared a candid snap from rehearsals last week in which Ward, Butler and Osbourne were caught smiling and waving at the camera from a couch.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 June 2025
  • The four new plays presented this year through public readings have their first readings on the first day of their workshop, with just four hours of rehearsal, then work for four days until the next reading.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • Give my alter ego a name, describe their key characteristics, daily habits, and decision-making style.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Other Republicans talk to Trump too, including Hawley — who then made a habit of informing Washington that Trump wants a softer touch on Medicaid.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • The problem with that habit memory, or that basal ganglia, is that when there's a change in that normal routine … your basal ganglia can't account for that.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
  • And many would benefit from incorporating an eye serum into their routine, either alone or beneath an eye cream.
    Deanna Pai, Vogue, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • The Button is designed for speed and convenience and it can also be used to jump between music, podcasts and voice notes when commuting, working or exercising.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The party has also advantaged itself by taking authoritarian measures—cowing media outlets, harassing opponents, and exercising ever greater sway over India’s Election Commission.
    HARTOSH SINGH BAL, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Hippler held back little in writing that the defense had failed to meet its legal burden necessary to warrant delay of the trial.
    Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2025
  • Abrego Garcia’s lawyers filed an emergency request Thursday to a federal judge in Maryland to order the government to take Abrego Garcia to that state upon release, an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before trial.
    Ben Finley, Fortune, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • This pattern could also lead to economic impacts to entire economies when bidding to host major tournaments.
    Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • The world must invest in drought resilience as global warming changes rainfall patterns, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • Better benefits and access to comprehensive training resources will encourage more people to pursue a career in the direct support profession.
    Brian Cusack, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
  • Participants receive training materials and can earn an official Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program T-shirt.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Jumping off the bridge into the water is a summer ritual for thrill seekers of all ages, despite the warning signs that are posted nearby.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
  • The church’s ritual of confirmation, which marks the passage from adolescence into adulthood, also acquired legal status.
    Thomas A. DuBois, The Conversation, 27 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Practice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practice. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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