USE Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'use' contrast with its synonyms?

The words employ and utilize are common synonyms of use . While all three words mean "to put into service especially to attain an end," use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end. // willing to use any means to achieve her ends

Q: Where would 'employ' be a reasonable alternative to 'use'?

Although the words employ and use have much in common, 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'utilize' instead of 'use'?

While in some cases nearly identical to use , utilize may suggest the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something. // an old wooden bucket utilized as a planter

use 1 of 2

verb

ˈyüz

Definition of use

as in to utilize

to put into action or service I will need to use the large hammer for this project

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to treat

to behave toward in a stated way the factory workers were underpaid and poorly used by their employers

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as in to exploit

to take unfair advantage of I was paying for everything on our little outing, and I was starting to feel like I was being used

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use

2 of 2

noun

ˈyüs

as in application

the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose the use of boom boxes is strictly prohibited in the park

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in usefulness

the capacity for being useful for some purpose the broken grill isn't going to be of much use in cooking the hamburgers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in liking

positive regard for something I have no use for slackers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb use contrast with its synonyms?

The words employ and utilize are common synonyms of use. While all three words mean "to put into service especially to attain an end," use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end.

willing to use any means to achieve her ends

Where would employ be a reasonable alternative to use?

Although the words employ and use have much in common, 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

When is it sensible to use utilize instead of use?

While in some cases nearly identical to use, 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 use

Verb

However, Nvidia has increasingly used its balance-sheet strength to provide financial backstops for data center projects, including $105 billion for a massive compute campus under construction in Ohio where OpenAI will be the tenant. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 In another study published this year, researchers used a DMPU/ethylene glycol-potassium hydroxide system to completely convert PET in polyester/cotton blends at 70 degrees Celsius in 30 minutes, recovering TPA while preserving the cotton component. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026

Noun

There’s nothing about a common machine interface language that requires the use of AI models, of course. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 Be assured, citizen, that the mass surveillance state is being put to good use. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for use

Recent Examples of Synonyms for use

Verb

Hall is one of the most explosive backs in the NFL, with the ability to make an impact as a pass catcher — something past offensive coordinators failed to utilize.

— Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Five new food carts will be open to all fans on the concourse at the north end, utilizing the new 37,000-square-foot open space that connects the east and west sides of the stadium.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of utilize

Verb

Car parts, for example, are generally treated like other goods from China despite ongoing tensions over the country’s fast-growing auto sector.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Dark circles are the anchor of tired girl makeup, treated as a feature to style rather than a flaw to cover.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of treat

Verb

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have uncovered a new processor attack that can bypass defenses in Intel and AMD chips by exploiting a security gap lasting only a handful of instructions.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Other Surrealists, meanwhile, seemed to take from animals a license to exploit other (generally female) bodies, as in Clovis Trouille’sJustine(1937), in which both a naked female figure and a lion are bound and captive.

— Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of exploit

Noun

Instead of being limited to the manufacturer’s stock features, the display can become an endpoint for Home Assistant, MQTT and custom applications.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
The tie-up should help some skeptical investors grow more confident that Salesforce — thanks to troves of proprietary customer data housed within its applications — has a role to play in this new AI world.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of application

Noun

Advertisement McKleroy, meanwhile, likes to over-research, add more information, and complicate projects past the point of usefulness.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Because the watermark degrades with more thorough editing or in shorter samples of text, its usefulness may also be uneven depending on the department or assignment.

— Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of usefulness

Verb

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning that applies to more than 1 million people in San Diego County, mostly across inland valleys, foothills and mountains where high temperatures will approach or exceed 95 to 114 degrees.

— Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
The study found the models understood concepts such as the Kelly criterion and Merton share in theory but struggled to apply appropriate risk management when making actual simulated trading decisions.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of apply

Verb

Other areas of concern are the library system's self-check-out kiosks, instances in which minor teenagers handle materials while working or volunteering at a branch, and platforms for loaning electronic materials, Adams said.

— Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Taylor Farms works with hundreds of family farms for its produce and handles processing, packaging and distribution itself.

— Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of handle

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usages

use

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

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Synonyms of use

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noun

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Synonyms of use

verb

noun

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Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

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More from Merriam-Webster on use

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Word of the Day

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