routines

noun

plural of routine
1
as in ruts
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity part of my morning routine is drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in exercises
something done over and over in order to develop skill a weapons training routine

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in acts
a performance regularly presented by an individual or group did a tired routine that's been around since the days of vaudeville

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 routines The Sun enters your 6th House, beginning a month focused on routines, responsibilities, health, work, and the systems that keep everything moving. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026 Wearables like the Apple Watch, Oura Ring and Fitbit have fed the behavior by letting users experiment with their routines and measure what works. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026 Sleep hacking is adjusting breathing, light, temperature and bedtime routines to improve rest without medication. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026 If those signs linger for weeks and start interfering with work, relationships or daily routines, the pattern is worth taking seriously. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Banana Ball combines baseball with dance routines, trick plays and fan interaction. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Aaron Button is a programmable shortcut system made up of three buttons built into Pitaka’s Edge smartphone case that can be used to trigger smart home routines, activate AI tools, control connected devices, and more. — Time Staff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 For Brady, this new protocol stems from his own wellness journey—and giving people the chance to incorporate it into their own routines. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026 Read on for the products, routines, style staples, and parenting philosophies getting her through this season of motherhood. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for routines
  1. ruts
  2. exercises
  3. acts
  4. patterns
  5. practices
  6. habits
  7. grinds
  8. grooves
Noun
  • Visitors who look closely can still see wagon ruts left by thousands of wagons that carried people and trade goods.
    — Michelle Griego, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Fill ruts, depressions, and holes with topsoil and either turf or plants.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruts
Noun
  • Those teaching sessions included a five-sided rubber ball that Sweeney had to bounce and catch, and some unorthodox exercises.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement The architects of New Stanford might’ve avoided all of the above and still meaningfully included women by running parallel exercises in separate pods.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of exercises
Noun
  • The 11-day 312 Comedy Festival, spread across seven venues, features standup acts such as Michelle Wolf, Nikki Glaser, and Hacks writer Pat Regan.
    — Web Behrens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Three decades ago, the indie music scene was flourishing with homegrown acts like Beck and Rilo Kiley, based around clubs like Spaceland and the Garage.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of acts
Noun
  • The study also detailed how physicians often change their referral and prescribing patterns after their practices are acquired by hospitals, sometimes requesting imaging or other procedures that are not needed.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • People often reach for supplements when shift work, frequent travel or insomnia throws off their sleep patterns.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of patterns
Noun
  • Others are trying to drive employees toward what are called Centers of Excellence—essentially hospitals or medical practices with high ratings that may save money in the long-term since employees won’t need to return again and again for care.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Justice Department moved to terminate more than a dozen decades-old school desegregation cases without asking the court first to review whether the district successfully ended its past discriminatory practices, a watchdog group has found.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of practices
Noun
  • Everyday habits will still matter most Even the smartest kitchen appliance cabinet can’t replace good habits.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Food makers, grocery chains and other retailers are adapting to those changes in consumer habits.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of habits
Noun
  • Tableside dishes are a highlight, including a seasonal classic Greek salad and mouthwatering whole branzino baked in a coffee-grinds and sea-salt crust, then expertly deboned and served to perfection.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
  • In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, dill and garlic powder; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper.
    — Emily Weinstein, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
Definition of grinds
Noun
  • The smoothness of Knock Knock echoes through the rolling mid-tempo grooves of Stiltz’s unshowy arrangements, featuring drifting pedal steel from Theo Stocks and tasteful embellishments from Ana Roxanne on piano and vocals.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But one of the most striking features of Libertad is that even its most intense tracks feature catchy melodies and irresistible grooves.
    — Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of grooves

Browse Nearby Words

routinely
routines
routing
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Cite this Entry

“Routines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/routines. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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