exercises 1 of 2

noun

plural of exercise
1
as in practices
something done over and over in order to develop skill a young piano student dutifully going through the standard finger exercises

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2
as in uses
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose the observation that the best exercise for losing weight is the exercise of one's ability to say no to food

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exercises

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of exercise
1
as in exerts
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively a senator who consistently exercises his clout in Congress to get pork barrel projects for his state

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2
as in drills
to do over and over so as to become skilled the only way to exercise your writing skills is to do more writing

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3
as in applies
to put into action or service commended the firefighters for exercising really good judgment in that emergency

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in alarms
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the slightest change in travel plans is enough to get him all exercised

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 exercises
Noun
Rachel Yve, who posted a 20-minute somatic sleep support session on InsightTimer, blends somatic exercises, breathwork and progressive muscle relaxation, including legs up the wall. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 The project also extends beyond individual development exercises. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026 Cairo and Beijing are expanding a sweeping partnership — from BRICS membership and Belt and Road megaprojects to new military exercises — as Egypt seeks economic lifelines and strategic leverage beyond Washington. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Hart also remembers taking notes on Flockhart's stretching routine and breathing exercises ahead of shows. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 Players who failed to do either or lagged behind other groups were forced to complete extra sprints or exercises. — Nathan Fenno, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 During therapy, Matias practices stepping, balance and body control, using sensors and specialized exercises to help improve his movement and coordination. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Washington provides New Delhi with access to intelligence, advanced military technology, joint exercises, and a wider network of security partnerships. — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026 The hackers recruited the agent for hundreds of attacks by telling it the exercises were part of a simulation, Reuters reported, making their work up to 50% faster. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Marathe currently serves as the chairman of Leeds United and exercises 49ers Enterprises’ voting rights as a Director on the Leeds United Board, according to the Leeds United website. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 If elite athletes use a supplement, does that mean everyone who exercises should use it? — Adam Annaccone, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026 The results lend credence to the JAAC’s contention that polling alone cannot resolve who exercises meaningful political authority in Kashmir. — Aqil Shah, Time, 17 Aug. 2026 Everyone exercises leadership within their domain of competence. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Power systems for the MK48 torpedo The first award exercises the fourth option year of an existing contract supporting the MK48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026 In other words, someone who exercises regularly but also spends many hours each day watching television still has additional risks for worse cognitive health because of their passive sedentary behavior. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The European Union exercises great influence in fields such as data protection, competition, and food safety. — Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026 By contrast, Congress appropriates much of the public-private institution’s funding and exercises oversight over the institution, which is governed by a board of regents. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercises
  1. practices
  2. uses
  3. exerts
  4. applies
  5. alarms
  6. lessons
  7. applications
  8. utilizes
Noun
  • Summary Many companies face talent shortages, yet their own hiring practices often limit the available pool.
    — Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Star-Telegram was present for all 15 training camp practices and three preseason games to take in every position battle and roster nuance.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of practices
Noun
  • The 400-odd recipes include savory pies of all stripes, a mind-boggling array of uses for many styles of cheese, and boundless vegetable dishes.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The trend has stoked both hopes and fears around AI’s educational uses.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of uses
Verb
  • Hydrostatic pressure – the force water naturally exerts against the body – may also help reduce mild swelling in the legs and support healthy circulation during exercise.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Simply put, when one object exerts a force on another, the second one exerts an equal and opposite force in return.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of exerts
Verb
  • To test whether this applies to quantum objects too, the scientists needed to carry out the same experiment on a quantum object.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The same principle applies to optical fiber sensing, just with much greater sensitivity.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.
    — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Definition of alarms
Noun
  • This was not his Dartmouth College graduation keynote of 2025, filled with lessons on getting up after falling.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For Castellanos, meanwhile, the All-American Game provides a chance to remain connected to baseball while passing along lessons from a 15-year major league career that included two All-Star selections and a World Series appearance.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of lessons
Noun
  • The program received more than 100 applications and advanced 20 students to the finalist round.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Ten days later, the head of its Moscow office, Kirill Goncharov, told reporters the party, with about 4,000 members, received 8,000 new applications to join.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of applications
Verb
  • The new research utilizes a combination of coral records extending back 1,000 years plus results from a suite of 12 state-of-the-art climate models to rule out natural climate variability as the cause for El Niño’s recent changes.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Clocking in at 30 minutes, Williams’ Quartet La Jolla is a five-part work that politely utilizes dissonance and sometimes abstract rhythms.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of utilizes

Browse Nearby Words

exercisers
exercises
exercising
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Cite this Entry

“Exercises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exercises. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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