1
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
Sam applied himself to writing thank-you letters to everyone who'd helped sponsor him for the charity walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface
apply the ointment liberally
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to use
to put into action or service
apply the laws of motion to this physics problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
as in to enforce
to carry out effectively
a police officer applying the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apply
Policies should be applied fairly and explained clearly enough that employees understand how decisions are made.
—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 18 June 2026
But when a friend who turned 15 started applying for work, Njea had to be honest.
—ABC News, 18 June 2026
Alishio pointed to Altra’s Women’s Summit with female retailers as one example of how the brand is amplifying women’s voices and ensuring their feedback is applied to the business.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Sacramento consistently ranks among the most diverse cities in the country, and that applies across all stripes.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for apply
Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 18 June 2026
But when a friend who turned 15 started applying for work, Njea had to be honest.
—ABC News, 18 June 2026
Alishio pointed to Altra’s Women’s Summit with female retailers as one example of how the brand is amplifying women’s voices and ensuring their feedback is applied to the business.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Sacramento consistently ranks among the most diverse cities in the country, and that applies across all stripes.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for apply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply
Verb
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The waterway is crucial to significant shipments of oil, natural gas and related products like fertilizer, and its effective closure rocked the global economy.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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But as Martial related, the opening of the Colosseum was followed by games for 100 days.—
Cullen Murphy,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Their biggest clash of all is over a ballot measure sponsored by SEIU-UHW that would levy a 5% tax on the wealth of California’s roughly 200 billionaires and devote nearly all of its revenue to propping up health care.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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Kawar has devoted much of her life to documenting, collecting, and showcasing embroidered clothing, jewellery, and objects of daily life from settlements across West Asia.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The base, spread across parts of Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernadino counties, is located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in Congo, which has spread to neighboring Uganda, is causing serious concern among health officials.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The targeting led the Russians to use an alternative route, according to the Ukrainian military, with a large number of trucks carrying military supplies sent further west.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Officers conducted a search on foot and using a drone, but were unable to locate the animal.—
Evelyn Ronan,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Drinking a lot of water is particularly important for fans and workers who are moving around a lot or exerting themselves.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
17 June 2026
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Even match through the first 15 minutes, as both sides have exerted a little pressure offensively without any major scoring chances so far.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Verb
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That order has been blocked by multiple courts and is not being enforced.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
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Such level of protection on the creator-side is something rarely enforced at scale in the current ecosystem.—
Vivian Toh,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Federal grievances may be thrown out for being trivial, illegible or not pertaining to an issue that can be addressed through the bureau's system.—
Christie Thompson,
NPR,
17 June 2026
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There are more important things pertaining to the party to worry about than that.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Seven years later, the FDA has given Colorado the go-ahead, but there's still a lot to be done.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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From a box-score perspective, Brind’Amour’s case ranks similarly to that of Rick Tocchet, Bill Guerin and Ray Whitney, who are all unlikely to be inducted given other sure-thing candidates about to retire around the league.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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