1
as in to hire
to provide with a paying job
a new factory that will employ 500 people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to use
to put into action or service
looking for a job in which she can employ her considerable writing skills
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in employment
the state of being provided with a paying job
while you're under our employ, you can't do outside work for our competitors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 employ
Alex Olgin,
NPR,
3 July 2026
Cowboy music employed a strong sense of place by blending European storytelling traditions with images from a regionally specific way of life.
—
Ted Olson,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
After the princess’s longtime stylist, Natasha Archer, departed Kate’s employ last summer, Kate hasn’t hired a stylist to replace her.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for employ
Verb
The case garnered national interest because Oregon's new law targets the loopholes large staffing firms have been employing to circumvent state corporate medicine laws.
—
Alex Olgin,
NPR,
3 July 2026
Cowboy music employed a strong sense of place by blending European storytelling traditions with images from a regionally specific way of life.
—
Ted Olson,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
Noun
Publications from the Times on down employ clickbait headlines that treat you like a starving rat in a Pavlovian experiment.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
After the princess’s longtime stylist, Natasha Archer, departed Kate’s employ last summer, Kate hasn’t hired a stylist to replace her.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for employ
Recent Examples of Synonyms for employ
Verb
-
The point of the Top 10 lists, Chandrasekaran said, is to steer young adults to employers that are actively hiring recent graduates into jobs that can seed meaningful careers.
-
André Duvenhage, research director at South Africa’s North-West University, said migrants are often hired because employers see them as willing to work for lower wages and, as non-citizens, they are typically not protected by as many labor protections.
Verb
-
Alysa Guffey Currently, data centers use industrial zoning and ask for exemptions to use the site for data centers.
-
In court documents, O’Hara alleged the defendants violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, accusing them of unlawfully restricting free speech and initiating an unlawful seizure while using excessive force.
Noun
-
The traditional concept of professional security, once anchored in stable, full-time employment and institutional safeguards, is fundamentally outdated.
-
David Card, who won a Nobel Prize in 2021 for his work on this subject, documented that this inflow actually prompted a significant increase in new business investment and thus led to a surge in new employment.
Verb
-
At that point, college programs weren’t lining up to recruit a 187-pound pass rusher who hadn’t played a down of high school football.
-
There is a warning in all of this for the companies working hardest to recruit and retain young Black talent.
Verb
-
He was arrested after police tracked his location by obtaining his cell phone number and utilizing data from cell towers in the area.
-
Factoring the maximum of three two-way contract slots into account when they are officially filled, that pushes the Hornets up to 19, leaving just two more spots that can be utilized in the offseason and heading into training camp.
Verb
-
All eyes have been on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s upcoming wedding since before they even got engaged, but with the ceremony being just days away, anticipation has reached a fever pitch.
-
Effective delivery also requires using engaging visuals, incorporating storytelling for emotional connection, and developing strong physical presence.
Verb
-
Wiener asked for amendments to the bill during the bill’s review and in the committee meeting, including that the lifetime ban only be applied to Tier 3 members.
-
The ruling establishes the legal standard going forward and does not change the law that applied previously.
Verb
-
Jim has repeatedly said that as AI becomes better at uncovering software flaws, businesses will need increasingly sophisticated tools to identify, patch, and defend against those vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.
-
Firmware updates often fix security holes that attackers love to exploit.
Cite this Entry
“Employ.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/employ. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
