1
as in devices
a mechanical part or group of parts used to perform a specific task The printer's paper feeding mechanism is jammed.
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2
as in methods
a series of actions used to achieve an end She was stunned to learn that there was no mechanism in place to remedy the problem.
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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 mechanisms Doug Johnson and Gerry Munley take out an unusual piece of equipment — a clear plastic tube with cap mechanisms on each end — and lower it into the water by a line. —
Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 Politics, with all its mechanisms, its conflicts, and its institutions, exists because people—even, somehow, reasonable people—disagree. —Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 As the load increases—65 pounds (29 kilograms) in this case—the robot must achieve precise whole-body coordination, placing significant demands on its actuators and joint mechanisms. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026 Several antitrust complaints take aim at its pricing mechanisms. —Annie Palmer, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026 Across the landscape, a narrative has taken hold — often advanced by some of the movement’s most visible leaders — that emphasizes compounds, protocols, and neurological mechanisms. —Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026 As opposed to it being imposed upon them in Texas and in Missouri and in North Carolina, which proved to be wildly unpopular but Republican politicians ignored the will of the people in those states and put in place these mechanisms. —CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026 Authentication mechanisms are used almost everywhere in the infrastructure of Cloudflare and just about everywhere else on the Internet. —ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026 The latter will present the main support programs, tax incentives, and mechanisms for international collaboration. —John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 Politics, with all its mechanisms, its conflicts, and its institutions, exists because people—even, somehow, reasonable people—disagree. —Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 As the load increases—65 pounds (29 kilograms) in this case—the robot must achieve precise whole-body coordination, placing significant demands on its actuators and joint mechanisms. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026 Several antitrust complaints take aim at its pricing mechanisms. —Annie Palmer, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026 Across the landscape, a narrative has taken hold — often advanced by some of the movement’s most visible leaders — that emphasizes compounds, protocols, and neurological mechanisms. —Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026 As opposed to it being imposed upon them in Texas and in Missouri and in North Carolina, which proved to be wildly unpopular but Republican politicians ignored the will of the people in those states and put in place these mechanisms. —CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026 Authentication mechanisms are used almost everywhere in the infrastructure of Cloudflare and just about everywhere else on the Internet. —ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026 The latter will present the main support programs, tax incentives, and mechanisms for international collaboration. —John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mechanisms
Noun
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At the start of the year, China removed a three-decade-old tax exemption on contraceptive drugs and devices.— Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
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The suit alleged City Creek failed to reposition her every two hours in bed or her wheelchair, which is the clinical standard for people at risk of bedsores, and to promptly order devices to protect her skin.— Jordan Rau, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Unlike many industrial methods that rely on toxic chemicals or pricey catalysts, this bug is low-maintenance.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
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Over the past century, mathematicians have come up with dozens of different methods to calculate the Alexander polynomial of a knot.— Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As the Moon moves through your 6th House of Daily Routine, small systems restore energy and reduce friction.— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
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Most align with the profiles the franchise looks for in its various systems.— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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With precise lip-syncing and fluid gestures, the company aims to make its robots feel like lifelike digital characters rather than machines.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
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A lot of that expression was in how the machines looked on the outside, which of course was heavily influenced by how they were engineered inside and out.— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dozens of major health insurers, including Cigna, Aetna and United Healthcare, last year pledged to make fewer medical procedures require pre-authorization and to speed up the review process.— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
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Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
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Called knot invariants, these tools each measure some aspect of a knot — a pattern formed by its interwoven strands, perhaps, or the topology of the space surrounding it.— Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, the experiment can't tell if the chemicals come from ancient Martian life or non-biological geological processes.— Leonard David, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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Positioned to capture a massive untapped market, Autonomous Alfie brings automation to complex manufacturing processes that require a delicate touch and high adaptability.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mechanisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/mechanisms. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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