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employ

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb employ contrast with its synonyms?

The words use and utilize are common synonyms of employ. While all three words mean "to put into service especially to attain an end," 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

Where would use be a reasonable alternative to employ?

Although the words use and employ have much in common, use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end.

willing to use any means to achieve her ends

When is it sensible to use utilize instead of employ?

While the synonyms utilize and employ are close in meaning, 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 employ
Verb
The simple fact is that far more workers are employed in positions that use steel as an input than those who manufacture steel as an output. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025 However, as Ventura and others have stated, that shifted over time and the accused appeared to employ old school pimp tactics to control and totally dominated the woman. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 June 2025
Noun
What kinds of metrics does a good AI literacy program employ? Ben Jones, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 That the 2025 Red Sox had someone in their employ who did not know Hall of Famer Jim Rice once labored for the Local Nine remains an affront to history. Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for employ
Recent Examples of Synonyms for employ
Verb
  • After the Motsepe takeover in 2003, the club hired a series of high-profile managers, including the legendary Bulgarian forward Hristo Stoichkov and the late Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens.
    Simon Hughes, New York Times, 7 June 2025
  • Yet while hiring generally has slowed, other economists figured job growth remained sturdy last month as companies frustrated by labor shortages during the pandemic continued to curtail layoffs.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • On Wednesday, police in Seattle used pepper spray to clear out protesters, and officers in Denver used smoke and pepper balls to control a crowd.
    Krysta Fauria, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
  • Could breeze through the low-minors using just his fastball, but secondary stuff needs work to reach his potential, and focus on development of those pitches will likely slow down his development and lead to more mixed results in some outings.
    Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • Designed for an era of predictable employment and linear economic growth, the monthly salary once met the needs of both employers and workers.
    Arbia Smiti, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
  • However, today’s teens also face more competition for college and a heavier focus on academic and extracurricular achievements, hence the lower rates of employment among 16 and 19-year-olds.
    Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The filmmaker hatched the idea after reading an article about gay rehabilitation centers and recruited Brian Wayne Peterson to write the script.
    Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2025
  • Among them was a marathon sectional championship game against Lincoln-Way Central and Florida State recruit Lisabella Dimitrijevic.
    Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • This is another area in which the general manager is attempting to utilize restraint.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
  • Command Center also utilizes predictive analytics to help hospitals plan for the future.
    Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • In August 2024, Griffith announced in a post on Instagram that Stella got engaged to entrepreneur Alex Gruszynski.
    Kayla Grant, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • No such icy plunge seems to have hit the developers at Extell, who engaged the architects at ODA to build a 52-story skyscraper called the Torch on Eighth Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets.
    Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • If the individual is a non-resident, non-citizen of the U.S., the federal estate tax applies only to assets situated or deemed to be situated within the U.S. (for example, U.S. real property or stock in a U.S. corporation).
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • For instance, in Washington and Oregon, similar rules apply, while some states restrict this maneuver more heavily or require explicit signage allowing it.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • This hypothetical No 9 would push opposition back lines towards their own goal, giving further space for Fernandes and other team-mates to exploit.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 16 June 2025
  • The farmer may lack the experience and capital, or otherwise, to exploit that potential commercial use.
    Peter J Reilly, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Employ.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/employ. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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