Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective apt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of apt are appropriate, felicitous, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than apt?

While in some cases nearly identical to apt, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When can felicitous be used instead of apt?

The words felicitous and apt can be used in similar contexts, but felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

In what contexts can fit take the place of apt?

In some situations, the words fit and apt are roughly equivalent. However, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When might fitting be a better fit than apt?

While the synonyms fitting and apt are close in meaning, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to apt?

The words happy and apt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When would meet be a good substitute for apt?

The meanings of meet and apt largely overlap; however, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When could proper be used to replace apt?

Although the words proper and apt have much in common, proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

When is it sensible to use suitable instead of apt?

The synonyms suitable and apt are sometimes interchangeable, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

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 apt The likely price war is apt to weigh on the companies’ financials. Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 How apt, then, that the romance author has optioned several of her beloved titles to be made into movies or TV series. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025 My wife, however, suggests gawking is a more apt description. Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025 When the Sky Fell on Splendor (2019) This YA novel has been described as The Serpent King meets Stranger Things—an apt comparison for a story about a group of friends in small-town Ohio who encounter a strange, mysterious cosmic event that’ll change their lives forever. Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for apt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apt
Adjective
  • At the same time, the vulnerability of U.S. conventional forces creates powerful first-strike incentives for both sides, making minor political crises and military frictions more dangerous and prone to escalation.
    ANDREW S. LIM, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Those running agencies for the first time are prone to make beginners’ mistakes, Mr. Foster said.
    Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Midsize electric grills suitable for indoor/outdoor use are generally between 26-34 inches wide and can fit at least 10 burgers at a time.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025
  • This intelligent filtering ensures that only the most suitable candidates proceed to interviews, significantly accelerating recruitment cycles and reducing biases. 4.
    Tarun Eldho Alias, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Greek students were more inclined to develop mentoring relationships with professors, participate in extra-curricular activities and graduate on time compared with unaffiliated students.
    Wynn Smiley, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Join 108 others in the comments View Comments Some supporters of Trump may be more inclined to buy Tesla than there were in the past, but that’s not enough to make up for the loss of sales to liberal buyers, said Kelly O’Keefe, founder of branding consultant Brand Federation.
    Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Depending on your needs and health goals, one diet may be better than the other, or neither may be appropriate.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, Health, 24 Apr. 2025
  • As both sides present arguments over what remedies are appropriate, the name of another tech titan keeps coming up: Microsoft.
    Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The idea of fitting coverage around the traveler — instead of the other way around — is gaining traction in the travel insurance business.
    Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • This, too, would be a fitting final chapter for the Heat patriarch.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • By advocating for proper funding, schools will be able to take innovative approaches to increasing literacy rates, as well as seeing gains in math.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Just cut the tubing to the proper length and wrap it around the cables.
    Clint Davis, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Just go a size or two down from your usual for a fitted look.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Granted, unlike regular tees, this one is extra soft and fitted and features fine ribbed detailing on the neckline, hem, and sleeves.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • However, the owners of the team saw fit to elevate Schmidt to the GM position — talk about loyalty and promoting from within.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Warren, at least at the college level, fit that description.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apt. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on apt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!