opted; opting; opts
: to make a choice
especially
: to decide in favor of something
… opted for a tax increase … —
Tom Wicker
Tom Wicker After perusing the menu he opted for the prime rib.
1
optical; optician; optics
2
option; optional
Examples of opt in a Sentence
Verb
after that near catastrophe, they opted to reinstate the telephone service
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
Due to Maximilian Kilman’s poor form, the head coach opted against making a like-for-like change and switched to a 4-3-3 shape, with Potts replacing Todibo in the line-up.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 18 May 2026
The club made the somewhat unusual decision to place an unrestricted-free-agent tender on Rodgers, a paperwork move that gave the Steelers a bit of protection should Rodgers have opted to sign with another team before training camp opened in late July.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
Snag them in a versatile black, or opt for something a little lighter for summer, like this pair with a touch of electric blue.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for opt
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.
Verb
However, the singer opted to skip the show, but for a good reason.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
Due to Maximilian Kilman’s poor form, the head coach opted against making a like-for-like change and switched to a 4-3-3 shape, with Potts replacing Todibo in the line-up.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 18 May 2026
The club made the somewhat unusual decision to place an unrestricted-free-agent tender on Rodgers, a paperwork move that gave the Steelers a bit of protection should Rodgers have opted to sign with another team before training camp opened in late July.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
Snag them in a versatile black, or opt for something a little lighter for summer, like this pair with a touch of electric blue.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for opt
Cite this Entry
“Opt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opt. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
