1
as in devices
a mechanical part or group of parts used to perform a specific task
The printer's paper feeding mechanism is jammed.
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2
as in methods
a series of actions used to achieve an end
She was stunned to learn that there was no mechanism in place to remedy the problem.
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Recent Examples of mechanisms
Export controls, data security laws, and investment screening mechanisms increasingly function as instruments of a broader Chinese economic and geopolitical strategy tied to technology.
—
Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
As just one example, two people receiving a diagnosis of major depressive disorder may have very different underlying biological mechanisms driving their illness, and very different responses to the same treatment.
—Eric J. Nestler, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
It was reduced to its steel frame after the fire burned away its outer layers and internal mechanisms.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
For younger workers still establishing coping mechanisms, substance use can put them at risk for negative outcomes, according to Waltrous.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Together, these mechanisms prevent the battery’s active materials from degrading or from escaping across the membrane, thereby ensuring long-term stability.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Bonaca suspects that the walking improvements seen in trial participants who took semaglutide were likely from anti-inflammatory mechanisms in the vascular endothelial muscles.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2026
The lesson is that healthcare lacks the self-correcting mechanisms that forced aviation to change.
—Joe Kiani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
This mentality, forged through a career built within and outside of the mechanisms of Music Row, continues to shape the Grand Ole Opry member's work.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
As just one example, two people receiving a diagnosis of major depressive disorder may have very different underlying biological mechanisms driving their illness, and very different responses to the same treatment.
—Eric J. Nestler, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
It was reduced to its steel frame after the fire burned away its outer layers and internal mechanisms.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
For younger workers still establishing coping mechanisms, substance use can put them at risk for negative outcomes, according to Waltrous.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Together, these mechanisms prevent the battery’s active materials from degrading or from escaping across the membrane, thereby ensuring long-term stability.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Bonaca suspects that the walking improvements seen in trial participants who took semaglutide were likely from anti-inflammatory mechanisms in the vascular endothelial muscles.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2026
The lesson is that healthcare lacks the self-correcting mechanisms that forced aviation to change.
—Joe Kiani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
This mentality, forged through a career built within and outside of the mechanisms of Music Row, continues to shape the Grand Ole Opry member's work.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mechanisms
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
-
All of it is encrypted, and some of it could be stored by actors anticipating that current encryption methods may become less effective over time.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Little in the past acknowledged his preference for lethal injection between the two methods, sharing concerns over the impacts on corrections officials from participating in a firing squad execution.—
Kevin Fixler
April 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the Moon moves through your 6th House of Daily Routine, small systems restore energy and reduce friction.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Most align with the profiles the franchise looks for in its various systems.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From their humble beginnings as slow armored vehicles that supported the infantry’s advance, tanks would quickly evolve into swift, lethal machines that led the main attack while infantry moved in support of them.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
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In the factory, the machines are collecting real-world data to learn practical tasks, including stocking parts for assembly technicians, performing basic warehousing and logistics operations.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Dozens of major health insurers, including Cigna, Aetna and United Healthcare, last year pledged to make fewer medical procedures require pre-authorization and to speed up the review process.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 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
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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
-
The new law will also allow residents or the state's Attorney General to sue local and county governments over their voting processes or plans.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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The fundamental processes governing brain health — genetics, neural and synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation — do not respect the arbitrary boundaries drawn between neurology and psychiatry.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mechanisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mechanisms. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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