Definition of exact
transitive verb
1 : to call for forcibly or urgently and obtain from them has been exacted the ultimate sacrifice — D. D. Eisenhower
2 : to call for as necessary or desirable
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Examples of exact in a Sentence
They would not rest until they had exacted revenge.
He was able to exact a promise from them.
Recent Examples of exact from the Web
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The chassis is made from planks of walnut and bamboo, glued together and cut by computer to exact specifications.
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When legs become Jello Mount Marathon often exacts its toll in flesh and blood, and fifth-place women's finisher Ann Spencer sported twin, thin rivulets of blood down each shin.
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Benchmark’s Bill Gurley, a longtime board stalwart who was present at the creation of Uber but who’d fallen out with Kalanick, is gone from the board, part of the price Kalanick exacted for stepping down.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Twins were waiting for a chance to exact revenge on the team that served them a four-game sweep and snatched first place from their grasp.
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But the Iranian regime had several less-dramatic means to exact revenge against ISIS targets in Syria—
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The country was led for a decade by François Bozizé, who was ousted by mostly Muslim rebels in 2013, ushering in an era of abuses that led to an uprising by Christian fighters who exacted revenge on Muslim civilians.
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Its report echoed deepening fears among humanitarian agencies over the toll in civilian lives exacted by American and coalition forces in the campaign to eliminate the Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria.
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With methodical pacing, Finnur builds his alibi and exacts retribution.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exact.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Exact derives from a form of the Latin verb exigere, meaning "to drive out, to demand, or to measure." (Another descendant of exigere is the word exigent, which can mean "demanding" or "requiring immediate attention.") Exigere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix ex- with the verb agere, meaning "to drive." Agere has been a very prolific source of words for English speakers; it is the ancestor of agent, react, mitigate, and navigate, just to name a few. Incidentally, if you are looking for a synonym of the verb exact, you could try demand, call for, claim, or require.
Origin and Etymology of exact
Middle English, to require as payment, from Latin exactus, past participle of exigere to drive out, demand, measure, from ex- + agere to drive — more at agent
Synonym Discussion of exact
exact
Definition of exact
1 : exhibiting or marked by strict, particular, and complete accordance with fact or a standard
2 : marked by thorough consideration or minute measurement of small factual details
Examples of exact in a Sentence
Those were his exact words.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
We don't know the exact nature of the problem.
Predicting the path of hurricanes is not an exact science.
The police have an exact description of the killer.
Please take the most exact measurements possible.
He is very exact in the way he solves a problem.
Recent Examples of exact from the Web
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The exact amounts of those scholarships are not released by National Merit.
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At the time, Trump administration and Downing Street officials respectively denied that the trip had been canceled, saying instead that an exact date had just not yet been scheduled.
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Restoring the plaque is estimated to cost about $50,000, though an exact price tag will be determined when the city receives bids for work on the project, Russell said.
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De Winter plans to replicate the study using the exact same materials used by Hess and Polt—now stored at the Drs.
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After going through the skeleton bone by bone, Bertozzo and coauthors didn’t find an exact match the quarry map they were provided.
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The exact cost of demolition isn't certain because the work has not yet been put out to bid, Reiter said.
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The network is too complex for humans to comprehend its exact decisions.
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Israel's exact population breakdown is hard to calculate because intermarriage is common.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exact.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of exact
Latin exactus
Synonym Discussion of exact
EXACT Defined for English Language Learners
exact
playDefinition of exact for English Language Learners
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: to demand and get (something, such as payment or revenge) especially by using force or threats
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—used in phrases like exact a terrible toll and exact a high/heavy price to say that something has caused a lot of suffering, loss, etc.
exact
Definition of exact for English Language Learners
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: fully and completely correct or accurate
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: very careful and accurate
EXACT Defined for Kids
Definition of exact for Students
exacted
;exacting
: to demand and get by force or threat They exacted terrible revenge.
Learn More about exact
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See words that rhyme with exact Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exact Spanish Central: Translation of exact Nglish: Translation of exact for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exact for Arabic speakers
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