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
In Islamabad, hotels are fast booking up as journalists scramble to apply for visas to cover the historic talks.
—
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Your preferences will apply only on this website.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
The researchers also proved that the gate can be applied to several thousands of qubits at the same time.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
But that provision doesn’t apply until the 2026-27 school year, according to the memo.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apply
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Your preferences will apply only on this website.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
The researchers also proved that the gate can be applied to several thousands of qubits at the same time.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
But that provision doesn’t apply until the 2026-27 school year, according to the memo.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply
Verb
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During the men’s Euros in 2024, police forces reported 351 incidents of domestic abuse as being football-related.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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This album explores nothing less than the cycle of life, as related through changes of season.—
Brett Milano,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The upper levels are devoted exclusively to computer science, with administrative offices, individual faculty offices, and smaller research and study spaces for students.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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But the destruction cuts deep for the couple, who have devoted their lives to sharing the joy of music.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Vaccination is crucial to preventing the spread of measles, but the WHO says 95% of the population has to be vaccinated in order to stop the disease from spreading.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The people arrested in Colorado came from more than 80 countries spread across five continents.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When, in the early nineteen-hundreds, Gibson developed the F-style flat-back, inspired by the Stradivarius violin, the idea was to produce a louder instrument that could be used for classical as well as folk music, while being assembly-line-friendly.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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Orbán has used his party's current supermajority in Hungarian parliament to undermine the independence of the judiciary, crack down on independent media, demonize migrants and discriminate against LGBTQ people, Human Rights Watch has said.—
Emmet Lyons,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yeo says there could also be rarer genetic variants not captured in the analysis that might exert more influence on weight-loss variations.—
Lori Youmshajekian,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
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Ackman is one of the loudest hedge fund investors out there, exerting enormous influence through social media, podcasts and media interviews.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the decades after the Second World War, this principle was widely enforced through labor contracts, and big companies tended to share their economic gains with their employees.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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City staff proposed a combination of oversight from both the public health and police departments to enforce the new ban.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The information Martin County attorneys are asking to see information pertaining to medications provided to Woods’ through Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Dawson, a 6-foot-5 senior guard from Omaha, Nebraska, told The Star that the waiver request will pertain to his first of three seasons at Loyola/Chicago (2022-23).—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before his final drill, a friend about 30 yards away gave him some encouragement after a good rep, to which all Wilson could do was smile and shake his head.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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Anaheim’s Jeffrey Viel then took elbowing and roughing penalties with 15 seconds left that gave Nashville a man advantage for four minutes, and boos rained down from the Honda Center at the end of the second period for the second straight game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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