routine 1 of 2

Definition of routinenext
1
as in grind
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in act
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

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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 routine
Noun
Vomiting, weight gain from steroids used in her treatment and hospitalization became part of her routine. ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 Here’s a closer look at what’s out there, what the ingredients actually do, and how each product fits into a thinning hair routine. Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
But this was not a routine mission. Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026 Together, these features help reduce routine maintenance and support more comfortable long-term use. Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for routine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for routine
Noun
  • His former teammate Porzingis could relate to Tatum’s rehab process, and said that a desire to be involved in the team’s day-to-day grind is often a great motivator.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2026
  • But the quagmire is made worse by the question of what audiences want in an age of abundant at-home entertainment options, tighter budgets and general fatigue from the merciless grind of modern life.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The orders follow weeks of speculation about whether the 82nd Airborne Division would join the war, after its headquarters unit abruptly pulled out of a training exercise this month.
    Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2026
  • The exercise included multi-wave saturation attacks on enemy vessels attempting to evade detection by using nearby islands and reefs as cover.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Our lawmakers who passed this act have their rewards, and doubtless many of them got rewarded with votes in the last election because of it.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Others may opt to take on new spiritual practices, such as daily prayer or acts of charity.
    Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • James turned forty-one at the end of that month, an age at which many people start to notice the normal degeneration of their tendons and joints.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The start of the day seemed very normal to me.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Such a debrief will help to blunt some of the emotion almost certain to surround her return to formal duties on the show.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Staffing shortages have forced some travelers to build in significantly more time before flights – sometimes hours more than usual.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
  • February 19 – March 20 Home is where the heart is — that’s even more true than usual.
    Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Those ruts become a potential hazard for trail users and are difficult to repair.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Even Nvidia ’s trillion-dollar growth narrative isn’t enough to jolt its stock out of a six-month rut, one sign that the chipmaker’s biggest challenge may now be its own size.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The lawsuit accuses the company of deceptive marketing practices.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Many here worry that a case from Mississippi challenging whether ballots received after Election Day can be counted in federal elections could end Alaska's practice of accepting late-arriving ballots.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Routine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/routine. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on routine

Nglish: Translation of routine for Spanish Speakers

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