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
At the same time, BLS officials have, for more than a decade, sounded alarm bells about being too underfunded and too understaffed to implement the necessary practices to modernize data collection, analysis and reporting. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025 Modern and contemporary practices began emerging in the 1950s and 1960s. Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Establishing a consistent sleep schedule and practicing relaxation techniques before bed can be helpful, Salas said. Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025 Since two of the courts will be used for the tournament, there is a chance for spectators to practice their own volleyball techniques on the other 16 courts. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for practice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practice
Noun
  • Feldman, who has been taking part in daily rehearsals with Johnson, explained that his previous experience with dancing significantly differed from learning to master ballroom dance under his partner's guidance.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Practices are held for two hours every Monday, and quartets have additional rehearsals on their own time.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Leaders who treat this period as an opportunity to establish alignment, celebrate progress, and embed new habits set their organizations on a trajectory toward lasting ROI.
    Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Adults who have trouble sleeping or don’t maintain healthy sleeping habits can often trace those issues back to their first few months of life, says Golshevky.
    Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Rinse thoroughly before moving through your routine.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The best way to keep your shower mold-free is to stick to a weekly cleaning routine that consists of wiping down the surface with cleaners and wiping the shower dry after each use.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Pyongyang has continued to exercise significant control over the population and severely restrict the rights and freedoms of its population, and that has only gotten more intense over the last decade.
    Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • At the University of Cincinnati in the United States, researchers at the eXtended Reality Lab have created an embodied/virtual reality system in which people exercising on a treadmill alone in their house have the experience of being in a gym, surrounded by other people also exercising.
    Alan Lightman September 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The government subsequently dropped its appeal of the magistrate judge’s decision to release Bryant pending his trial, according to a notice on the docket Tuesday evening.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The plan is to drop the first episode alongside the trial, see how things unfold in court, and, if possible, integrate relevant trial developments into the following episodes.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Tropical weather experts at Colorado State University echo these predictions, saying overall atmospheric conditions, including wind patterns, will shift in a manner that supports a notable increase in activity.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Tuesday’s report states that HHS will assemble a working group of federal officials to evaluate SSRI prescribing patterns, specifically among children.
    Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And unlike Michelle King, the acting agency chief at the time, Dudek was willing to speed up the new-hire training process to give DOGE access to virtually all of the SSA’s databases.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Apple’s repair staff in the European Union were required to complete training for the tech by the end of last week, suggesting some markets may be about to move over.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Shot against the stunning backdrops of New Zealand, the campaign shows how even the smallest moments of a morning ritual — from the hiss of steam to the first swirl of crema — can embody calm and indulgence.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Their 13th album, International, interprets the ritual of early retirement sendoff as a boisterous dance party with plenty of music royalty cameos showing up to pay their respects.
    Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Practice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practice. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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