tool 1 of 2

noun

ˈtül How to pronounce tool (audio)
Definition of toolnext
1
as in device
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 pawn
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 sucker
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

tool

2 of 2

verb

as in to drive
to travel by a motorized vehicle I spent some time tooling around town today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word tool different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of tool are appliance, implement, instrument, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.

a carpenter's tools

When is it sensible to use appliance instead of tool?

While the synonyms appliance and tool are close in meaning, appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

In what contexts can implement take the place of tool?

In some situations, the words implement and tool are roughly equivalent. However, implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

When is instrument a more appropriate choice than tool?

While in some cases nearly identical to tool, instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

When could utensil be used to replace tool?

The words utensil and tool can be used in similar contexts, but utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.

kitchen utensils

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 tool
Noun
The response was immediate: many believed the artifact resembled the base of a Clovis point—a distinctive stone tool crafted by Paleoindian peoples more than 12,000 years ago. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 7 July 2025 Teaching your child feeling words can be a great tool to begin and sustain the conversation around big emotions. —Amy Morin, Parents, 7 July 2025
Verb
That tablet can be swapped from tool to tool as necessary. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2025 For example, in tooling there’s Vertex and Firebase for professional developers and Agentspace for the no-code development environment. —Jason Andersen, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tool
  1. device
  2. pawn
  3. sucker
  4. drive
  5. instrument
  6. target
  7. motor
  8. mechanism
Noun
  • Granted, lots of iPhones can run iOS 26, but there are also so notable devices missing from the list.
    — Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • As the company has already done for decades, Apple would leave the messy internet mostly to others and focus instead on the device itself.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Definition of device
Noun
  • Anthony-Brown was fortunate to secure a lease in one of the neighborhood's most architecturally significant landmarks, the art deco-style Paramount Square Building, which opened in 1931 but has been vacant since its last tenant, a pawn shop, shuttered in 2005.
    — Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • The guitar would later turn up in a Las Vegas pawn shop.
    — Melonee Hurt, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Definition of pawn
Noun
  • The reserve is heavily wooded with more than 25 tree species that are the domain of warblers, crows, wrens, hawks, woodpeckers, sap suckers, owls, bald eagles, vultures and great herons.
    — John Tuohy, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
  • When my daughter and I are outside, these pesky blood suckers feast.
    — Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 24 June 2025
Definition of sucker
Verb
  • One chair represents the relentless pressure to deliver through hitting growth targets, driving innovation, and meeting stakeholder expectations.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy.
    — Tony Leopardo, Mercury News, 13 July 2025
Definition of drive
Noun
  • During Sunday's ceremony, hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns joined the celebration as Tibetan musicians played traditional instruments and senior lamas struck cymbals in his honor.
    — Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
  • Notably, the coalition intends to support at least a dozen countries by 2036 and contribute to at least 5 global policy instruments within the same period.
    — Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Definition of instrument
Noun
  • As things stand, Díaz could be the latest target Bayern fails to sign this summer.
    — Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Microsoft also has a consensus target of roughly $525, reflecting more than 4% upside potential.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Definition of target
Verb
  • But momentum flipped in the fifth when North Reading turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play and tacked on an insurance run when Matt Mancinelli motored around from first to score on a bloop single by Torra.
    — Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025
  • TikTok clued us into the power of shaving your body—mainly your she-shrubbery—using what is technically a beard trimmer, because it's designed explicitly to motor through coarse hair.
    — Annie Blackman, Allure, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of motor
Noun
  • In the Chicago area, the mechanisms for alerting the public vary county by county, and, in some cases, city by city.
    — William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • Designing solutions where payment lifecycles include strong alerting mechanisms is crucial.
    — Sunny Banerjee, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Definition of mechanism

Browse Nearby Words

took up with
tool
tooled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tool. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on tool

Nglish: Translation of tool for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tool

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a plate of arepas
Name That Dish! Some mouth-watering food for thought
See All