exercise 1 of 2

1
2
as in practice
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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3
as in use
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

exercise

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to exert
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 to practice
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 to use
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

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 exercise
Noun
This exercise forced teams to acknowledge and address long-standing issues without immediate rebuttals. Molly Peck, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025 This whole exercise of proving the absence of antisemitism as a prerequisite to criticizing Israeli government policy is absurd. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
These approaches include exercising regularly, eating a balanced and nutritious diet, and not smoking or drinking alcohol. Sarah Bradley, Health, 24 Mar. 2025 Key Takeaways Unhealthy evening habits, such as eating heavy meals, consuming sweets, or exercising late in the day, can disrupt metabolism and hinder weight loss. Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exercise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exercise
Noun
  • This cohort makes for a super sweet gift (easter basket toppers, anyone?), or, as a does-it-all activity for a DIY spa night with the besties.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Phishing scams often trick victims into revealing sensitive information through fake emails or websites, while data breaches expose vast amounts of personal data that criminals can exploit for fraudulent activities.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The first 20 years of my career were at Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH), and my devotion was to the practice of medicine, caring for the critically ill and provide lifesaving opportunity to those in need of cardiac transplantation.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The practice was used in 2018 during the first Trump term, when the Senate voted on the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as an associate justice.
    Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Versatility Car seat toys that get the most use are ones children can use in multiple ways and for a long time.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Included in the resort fee are use of beach chairs, umbrellas, hammocks, bicycles, and fishing equipment (including bait).
    Cynthia J Drake, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The three officers who exerted deadly force – Gustafson, Garcia and Widlarz – have been cleared following the investigation, and Mosser’s review is now considered closed.
    Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Or maybe Memphis will continue to exert what seems to be a mental edge over the Wolves and push them closer to having to go on the road to start the Play-In Tournament.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In other words, the same asset that feels untouchable when trying to borrow from a bank suddenly becomes fully visible when applying for student aid.
    Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • But at the same time, all nine justices agreed that Venezuelan nationals facing deportation under the Act have a right to contest in a federal court whether the law, traditionally invoked during wartime, applies to them.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In scene after scene, Shula doesn’t say much, but there is, in practically every frame, an unmistakable anxiety in her composure, as if her mere appearance of calm required a major exertion of will.
    Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Avoid any physical exertion, including indoors, officials said.
    Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • To meet the growing demand for nurses, Pennsylvania hospitals are partnering with colleges and universities to expand clinical training capacity, streamline pathways into nursing and develop innovative education models such as hybrid and accelerated programs.
    Kymberlee Montgomery, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The approach, called knowledge distillation, gets the larger model to effectively pass on its training, like a teacher giving lessons to a student.
    Stephen Ornes, Wired News, 13 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exercise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exercise. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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