1
as in certificates
a written or printed paper giving information about or proof of something
a valid will is a legal instrument
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in devices
an article intended for use in work
always choose the right instrument for any woodworking job
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in instrumentalities
something used to achieve an end
he sees scouting as an instrument for building character in young people
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in tools
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another
the claim that the scientists are mere instruments of the tobacco companies, who pay them to produce findings that are highly suspect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instruments
All 12 songs incorporate bells or bell-like instruments into their sparse mixes.
—
Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 26 Apr. 2026
In this high-altitude corridor, several observatories operate side by side using some of the most sophisticated instruments ever engineered.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
This included enlarging cabin windows into observation viewports and carving open portals into the belly of the fuselage, allowing high-tech sensors and remote-sensing instruments a clear line of sight to the world below.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
And then my colleagues in the UK at the National Ocean Graphic Center have been deploying instruments of the coast of Morocco, south of the Canary Islands.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Behind him, his four older brothers smile and play instruments that aren’t plugged in.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
After nearly five decades in space, engineers have had to steadily power down heaters and instruments while making sure the spacecraft do not get so cold that key systems, including fuel lines, are put at risk.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Human senses can’t detect radiation, but scientific instruments can accurately measure the amounts and types of radiation in an area.
—Eduardo B. Farfán, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Russia and China increasingly treat oil and gas flows as instruments of influence, not merely commerce.
—Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 26 Apr. 2026
In this high-altitude corridor, several observatories operate side by side using some of the most sophisticated instruments ever engineered.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
This included enlarging cabin windows into observation viewports and carving open portals into the belly of the fuselage, allowing high-tech sensors and remote-sensing instruments a clear line of sight to the world below.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
And then my colleagues in the UK at the National Ocean Graphic Center have been deploying instruments of the coast of Morocco, south of the Canary Islands.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Behind him, his four older brothers smile and play instruments that aren’t plugged in.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
After nearly five decades in space, engineers have had to steadily power down heaters and instruments while making sure the spacecraft do not get so cold that key systems, including fuel lines, are put at risk.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Human senses can’t detect radiation, but scientific instruments can accurately measure the amounts and types of radiation in an area.
—Eduardo B. Farfán, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Russia and China increasingly treat oil and gas flows as instruments of influence, not merely commerce.
—Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instruments
Noun
-
Instead of being able to source certificates on an annual basis, companies would have to find clean energy that is operating at the same time and in geographical proximity to their own operations.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And some of the best hotel credit cards provide free night certificates as an ongoing perk.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes the batteries on the trackers would run low, and McGovern’s team would need to remove and recharge the devices, before surreptitiously replacing them.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In 2021, a critical vulnerability in Log4j—a logging library maintained by a handful of volunteers—exposed hundreds of millions of devices.—
Evan Johnson,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Our editors are big fans of Dyson’s hair tools—and especially so for travel days.—
Charley Ward,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the company said, more than 8 million advertisers now use at least one of its generative AI creative tools, with particularly strong adoption among small and midsize advertisers.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There is now a backlog of nearly 19,000 merchant mariner credentials – representing roughly 10% of the entire workforce – along with roughly 5,000 medical certifications.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The world’s largest scuba-diving organization, which has issued more than 31 million certifications since 1966 and trains roughly three-quarters of the world’s divers, is using its global network as a force for change.—
TIME Contributors,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As Sousa-Martins drove forward, another agent shot at him 13 times, injuring Sousa-Martins as well as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles who was already in federal custody.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The notice states 170,169 vehicles with hybrid systems built between November 2020 and January 2024 are affected by the issue, making the recall the biggest since Jaguar and Land Rover merged in 2008.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One chapter closes, another opens The destruction of several Russian Kamov Ka-52s using drones doesn’t signal the end of the attack helicopter by any means.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Still, this isn’t a bad group by any means, and the team could easily go into the season with Barmore, Durden, Taylor, Williams and Farmer/Gregory.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bo Erickson | Reuters A source who was attending the event, and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting, told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun had approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Players and coaches have become maddeningly mealy-mouthed, striving to avoid upsetting agents, sponsors, owners, fans, thin-skinned politicians, and whoever else might object.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instruments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instruments. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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