instruments

plural of instrument
1
as in certificates
a written or printed paper giving information about or proof of something a valid will is a legal instrument

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2
3
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

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 instruments The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Bands like the all-female salsa group Agua Pura and the young Los Jefes have taken up unofficial residencies in Segovia's home, using his instruments, recording booths and expertise in the industry to help shape their own sound. Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026 Sets of instruments were stationed along every wall of the room, fully encompassing us in sound. Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 What makes Roman unique is its wide-angle vision and powerful infrared instruments that give it an extraordinary field of view. Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The installation basically turned gym equipment into instruments. Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 28 Aug. 2026 Jon Batiste is one of the most interesting contemporary musicians out there, a musical prodigy who began performing at age 8 and has mastered multiple instruments. K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 To capture the Ice Age era, the trio used instruments including the Divje Babe flute, which was discovered in 1995 at the Divje Babe archeological site in Slovenia. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Vaccines, protective equipment, semiconductors and shipping capacity became instruments of national interest. Akolisa Ufodike, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instruments
Noun
  • Pilots who fly commercial planes with over six passengers aboard also need medical certificates issued by official aviation medical examiners, the outlet reported.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, researchers wrote, an analysis of death certificates of football players who did not donate their brains revealed another 215 whose certificates listed a neurodegenerative disease as a cause of death.
    Becky Sullivan, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Instead, Cramer pointed to Cook's ability to sustain the iPhone's appeal and keep consumers coming back through successive generations of premium devices.
    Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Infecting already compromised devices Research published Monday brings the threat into much clearer view.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Teamsters California sued the California Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this month over the DMV’s decision to lift a ban on autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One item bearing the brunt of the tariffs is vehicles, which could have an outsized impact on Kansas City.
    Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The recent moves have been compared to tools the Federal Reserve has used in the past to provide liquidity to debt markets and to hold rates in check.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Document tools support multi-document chats, translation, presentation creation, and PDF interactions.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Digital passports are now accessible directly on Tod’s website, giving shoppers information on materials, production processes, locations and company certifications.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • By June 2017, 37% of warfare readiness certifications for cruiser and destroyer crews in Japan had expired.
    Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Gulf states have experimented with ship-to-ship transfers and other means of moving crude around Iranian restrictions.
    Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Living with endometriosis means becoming an expert on highly specialized ingredients and constantly cross-checking product labels.
    Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns.
    Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Nordic Co-Production Market brings together Nordic and international producers, financiers, distributors and sales agents around projects in development.
    Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The actor stars opposite AnnaSophia Robb, with the two playing a pair of FBI agents who investigate what seems to be an impossible homicide inside the prison.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Instruments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instruments. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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