as in essential
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Recent Examples of instrumental
From an office suite next to the White House, Mr. Musk, who also leads the electric car manufacturer Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX, has been instrumental in setting and enacting administration policy.
—
Kate Conger, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Legendary’s Mary Parent, who is rumored to have met with Zaslav about taking over De Luca and Abdy’s post at Warners, was instrumental in the making of the movie, bringing on director Jared Hess, who championed a comedic tone.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
Damon Pattison, who was instrumental in setting up Pooch Perfect with the BBC, is now Creative Director at Ricochet.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025
No Clipper has been more instrumental to that defense than Ivica Zubac, who has been a top-five rebounder this season.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
Kate Conger, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Legendary’s Mary Parent, who is rumored to have met with Zaslav about taking over De Luca and Abdy’s post at Warners, was instrumental in the making of the movie, bringing on director Jared Hess, who championed a comedic tone.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
Damon Pattison, who was instrumental in setting up Pooch Perfect with the BBC, is now Creative Director at Ricochet.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025
No Clipper has been more instrumental to that defense than Ivica Zubac, who has been a top-five rebounder this season.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrumental
Adjective
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The Trump administration’s decision to cut USAID funding has deprived the country of essential funding and created more uncertainty for the CHW program and other initiatives.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
10 Apr. 2025
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Since 2014, the ACL Hall of Fame has honored artists who have played an essential role in the series’ half-century as a premier supporter of top-shelf music.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Now the data revolution is reimagining one of the game’s most fundamental tools: the bat.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
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Trump has 'fundamental misunderstanding': Expert Some economists and international trade experts told ABC News that the president's controversial trade policy could actually discourage firms from setting up factories on American soil.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the success of any of NASA’s plans depends on having the money and resources necessary to carry them out.—
Wendy Whitman Cobb,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2025
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These companies feel like necessary building blocks of modern existence.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some jobs have only one or a handful of requisite tasks.—
Ismail Amla,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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In the case of fruit trees and bulbs, without the requisite dose of winter cold, flowers may open early when weather conditions would not be optimal for pollination or when pollinating bees and other insects would not yet be active.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The challenges of protecting a world-famous trans daughter aside, Wade is trying to navigate the basic father-teen dynamics.—
D. Watkins,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
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At first glance, the looks follow the same basic pattern: pants, a T-shirt, and a blazer.—
Marilú Almaguer,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These information superhighways are a major engine for the modern economy and are indispensable for things such as almost instantaneous financial transactions and real-time diplomatic and military communications.—
John Calabrese,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2025
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Cybersecurity stocks remain an indispensable part of an investment portfolio — no matter what’s happening with global trade.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Go Nuts For Reading program encourages elementary and middle school students to participate in an eight-book reading challenge at the beginning of the year, leading to free game tickets and a visit from the squirrel mascots, Nutzy and Nutasha.—
Brennan Long,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2025
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Authorities said the two juveniles were elementary and middle school age, Alaska’s News Source reported.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrumental. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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