in practice
idiom
—used to say what is actually done or what the actual effect or result of something is
The software is designed to block pornographic websites, but in practice, it blocks many other sites as well.
In actual practice, people sometimes forget to take their medication.
Examples of in practice in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson has occasionally been wearing his blue-and-gold Team Sweden gloves and leg pads in practice to break them in.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The rookie safety injured his ankle while defending a pass late in practice.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
It hasn’t been done in the history of English football because, in practice, consistency on that level is unachievable (Liverpool, in the final reckoning, wound up with just one of the four — the Premier League).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Just a few months after the transition, the results show what effective oversight looks like in practice.
—Miki Kapoor, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for in practice
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Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The rookie safety injured his ankle while defending a pass late in practice.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
It hasn’t been done in the history of English football because, in practice, consistency on that level is unachievable (Liverpool, in the final reckoning, wound up with just one of the four — the Premier League).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Just a few months after the transition, the results show what effective oversight looks like in practice.
—Miki Kapoor, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for in practice
Cite this Entry
“In practice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20practice. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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