Definition of routinenext
1
as in grind
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity part of my morning routine is drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper

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2
as in exercise
something done over and over in order to develop skill a weapons training routine

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in act
a performance regularly presented by an individual or group did a tired routine that's been around since the days of vaudeville

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 routine
Noun
Think a warm mug, a few functional ingredients and a routine your brain can start to associate with sleep. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 25, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026 Related movements like slowmaxxing, which encourages a deliberate slowing of routines and meals, have gained traction as a response to productivity culture. Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Adjective
All four officers at the scene will be placed on administrative leave, which Patterson said was routine practice after a shooting involving police. Marin Scott, NBC news, 23 July 2026 Basterrechea said the department keeps reports of every time the license-plate data is accessed and by whom, and conducts routine audits of the records. Rose Evans july 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for routine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for routine
Noun
  • Amid a wave of nostalgia for the Chicago Cubs team that ended a 108-year championship drought, former club president Theo Epstein reaffirmed his desire to avoid the day-to-day grind of running another major-league franchise.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • That grind, week after week, month after month, is affecting the workforce.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
Noun
  • On January 24, 2023, Clancy fatally strangled her three children in the basement of their Duxbury home using exercise resistance bands.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • Most leadership teams cannot answer this, and the exercise usually surfaces more exposure than expected.
    Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Noun
  • David Lee Roth joined the list of acts calling off the remainder of their dates this week.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • Cuddly serial killer comic book Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is heading into its final bloody act.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026
Adjective
  • Maybe redemption is too strong a word, but with all of this attention on Luke, Joe’s normal-bordering-on-wholesome fling with Kayley is a breath of fresh air.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026
  • That could eventually help mobile carriers extend voice, text and data coverage beyond normal cell towers.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Adjective
  • The Department of Children and Families reports that more than half of the nation’s adults have never taken formal swimming lessons.
    Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Multiple reception rooms include a formal dining room with seating for 16 guests, while two studies are for more intimate gatherings and the Smallbone kitchen, equipped with Miele appliances, opens to a morning room with French doors to the gardens.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • So, hotels may have obtained a financial boost from the tournament but due to setting higher rates than usual, not because of a massive increase in number of guests.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
  • Wrexham will also stay in Florida for longer than is usual on these tours to take advantage of the excellent training facilities, only flying up to New York the day before the Liverpool match.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • For reasons that are, at best, hazy, Lonnie had a meltdown of some amorphous type that had some sort of non-specific impact on his overall psyche, leaving him stuck in a nebulous rut.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • Joe, a former musician, is stuck in a creative rut, while Angela is obsessively trying to fill the growing distance between them.
    Emily Zemler, Architectural Digest, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • The investigation is part of a broader crackdown on what’s known as birth tourism, the practice of traveling to another country, so a child is born there.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
  • He was paired with a more experienced colleague and learned through instruction and hands-on practice how to care for pines and azaleas, mainly using a hand-pruning technique essential for the Imperial Palace and villas.
    Hiroshige Yazawa Japan News, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Routine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/routine. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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