1
as in devices
an article intended for use in work
needed a special tool to open the case of the appliance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pawns
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another
a ruthless leader using his trusting followers as tools in his quest for power
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in suckers
one who is easily deceived or cheated
you're just a pathetic tool of the advertising industry if you believe everything you see in TV commercials
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of tools
Isa Soares,
CNN Money,
1 July 2026
The Drug Enforcement Administration does have those tools, and sometimes works with Brennan's office to investigate cases.
—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
For his part, Prince William has embraced the technology, urging big tech companies to leverage tools to help prevent homelessness.
—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Artificial intelligence introduces new tools, efficiencies and risks.
—
Ronald Stair,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
That blast wasn’t the only time on Wednesday that the rookie showed off his physical tools.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
Google is investing about $75 million in A24 , the independent film studio behind recent successes like Backrooms and Marty Supreme, to help bolster the creative process with AI tools, The Wall Street Journal reported.
—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 June 2026
Phil Portman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Liccardo asked Atkins whether the SEC has opened an investigation into the trades, and what tools the SEC has to investigate them.
—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
There is also the chance that the AI tools misunderstood meanings or context, the researchers noted.
—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Building on the buzz surrounding Ouai, Atkin founded Mane, a hair tools brand this time, in 2023.
—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
27 Feb. 2026
Guests staying at the Beach Club have indulgent perks like a complimentary 15-minute ride on the adorable Sorbetto Fiat boat that tools around Lake Boca.
—
Angela Caraway-Carlton,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
Mendoza said that the search had been exceedingly difficult without the right tools.
—
Isa Soares,
CNN Money,
1 July 2026
The Drug Enforcement Administration does have those tools, and sometimes works with Brennan's office to investigate cases.
—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
For his part, Prince William has embraced the technology, urging big tech companies to leverage tools to help prevent homelessness.
—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Artificial intelligence introduces new tools, efficiencies and risks.
—
Ronald Stair,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
That blast wasn’t the only time on Wednesday that the rookie showed off his physical tools.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
Google is investing about $75 million in A24 , the independent film studio behind recent successes like Backrooms and Marty Supreme, to help bolster the creative process with AI tools, The Wall Street Journal reported.
—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 June 2026
Verb
Even most CEOs don’t have a full picture of which AI tools their teams are using.
—
Phil Portman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Liccardo asked Atkins whether the SEC has opened an investigation into the trades, and what tools the SEC has to investigate them.
—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
There is also the chance that the AI tools misunderstood meanings or context, the researchers noted.
—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Building on the buzz surrounding Ouai, Atkin founded Mane, a hair tools brand this time, in 2023.
—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
27 Feb. 2026
Guests staying at the Beach Club have indulgent perks like a complimentary 15-minute ride on the adorable Sorbetto Fiat boat that tools around Lake Boca.
—
Angela Caraway-Carlton,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tools
Noun
-
But none of that has happened, and Hamas rejected a new disarmament proposal in March that would force it to give up its tunnel network as well as rockets, heavy munitions, explosive devices and assault rifles before any Israel withdrawal.
-
This one from Amazon is only $36 and can keep your devices charged for up to one week on a single charge.
Noun
-
Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran.
-
The organization is treating these athletes as political pawns instead of as young people with their own families, goals, futures and careers to think about.
Noun
-
If your perennials and annuals get long and leggy with few flowers, or your shrubs put out long suckers that shoot straight up, your plants are reaching for more sun.
-
Removing excessive suckers can sometimes reduce overall yield, so pruning should be limited to removing diseased or damaged leaves, says Singh.
Verb
-
By stripping out parts and, crucially, reducing the number of unique parts, the company shortens manufacturing time, raises reliability, and drives down cost, all at once.
-
Fire shelters are mandatory equipment for crews who work across rugged terrain where things can change at a moment’s notice, especially when extremely dry and windy weather drives the flames, as happened last Saturday.
Noun
-
At least within the precision limits of the Perseverance’s instruments, the material roughly matches terrestrial kerogen.
-
Making this cosmic fireworks display not only visual, but auditory, optical data from three of the images was matched with the sounds of different instruments in a process called sonification.
Noun
-
The families of the victims said the pain is still as raw to this day.
-
Dozens of mourners were seen gathering outside the victims’ homes to offer condolences.
Cite this Entry
“Tools.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tools. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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