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employ

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb employ contrast with its synonyms?

The words use and utilize are common synonyms of employ. While all three words mean "to put into service especially to attain an end," employ suggests the use of a person or thing that is available but idle, inactive, or disengaged.

looking for better ways to employ their skills

Where would use be a reasonable alternative to employ?

Although the words use and employ have much in common, use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end.

willing to use any means to achieve her ends

When is it sensible to use utilize instead of employ?

While the synonyms utilize and employ are close in meaning, utilize may suggest the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something.

an old wooden bucket utilized as a planter

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 employ
Verb
The number of humans employed by Uber will actually increase as self-driving vehicles become more commonplace, the company’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery Sarfraz Maredia predicted at the World Economy Summit. Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Other than a short stint in the Army National Guard and performing odd jobs for Lorch at Riverside in the mid-1990s, he’d never been employed. Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes were lucky enough to have a generational talent in their employ over the last couple of seasons, but now, Travis Hunter has departed for the NFL, leaving a gaping hole for Colorado on both sides of the ball. Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 Those with creative aspirations will also benefit from the powerful hardware this laptop employs, and running resource-intensive programs like Photoshop and video editors will be a cinch. PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for employ
Recent Examples of Synonyms for employ
Verb
  • But as multiple advertising world sources note, Apple has hired its fair share of TV and streaming video veterans over the past couple of years, which, when combined with this newfound desire to cut deals to expand Apple TV’s reach, is certainly suggestive of broader ambitions.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2025
  • As part of its hiring blitz, the agency has dropped age, training and education standards and has offered recruits signing bonuses as high as $50,000.
    J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, since the May request, the department has signed a $172 million contract with Gulfstream to buy not one but two used G700 jets.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The breathable cotton quilt is lightweight enough to use year-round, but the warm tones beckon for fall.
    Sheri Kaz, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In other states, there would be no change to the program, and DACA recipients would still be granted employment authorization documents.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Additionally, the school did not give Lea 180 days notice of her firing, as outlined in her employment agreement, according to the lawsuit.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Revolutionary groups, often recruited from universities and the intelligentsia, were soon carrying out terrorist attacks in the cities.
    Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Ring of Fire Skull recruited Dusty Summers from a club in Las Vegas.
    Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The church also proposed adding space for hydroponic farming that would supply produce for the community and terrace farming that could be utilized by the residents.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The Belmont senior midfielder’s red face showed exhaustion from yet another big matchup she was heavily utilized in.
    Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Delhi has been consistently prioritizing cold interests over all else—engaging with the junta in Myanmar, refraining from openly criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, engaging both Iran and Israel, and getting closer toward recognizing the Taliban as Afghanistan’s official government.
    Happymon Jacob, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Interactive and engaging toys to keep your pets entertained and active.
    Jessie Quinn, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The chain embellishment was applied to multiple styles, be in the short pump or a taller slingback, and stood out against different colors.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Use a mop to apply the bleach solution to the floors, covering a small area at a time and working in a figure-eight or side-to-side pattern.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As European nations—including France—maintained colonial rule, exploiting millions of people of color across the globe, Nardal wielded her writings as a weapon to challenge the global color line.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
  • There are reservations, though, about the intertwining of Christianity and conservative politics, and opportunistic politicians exploiting a movement to suit their agenda.
    Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Employ.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/employ. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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