Definition of adjustnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adjust contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of adjust are accommodate, adapt, conform, and reconcile. While all these words mean "to bring one thing into correspondence with another," adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism.

adjusted the budget to allow for inflation

When would accommodate be a good substitute for adjust?

The synonyms accommodate and adjust are sometimes interchangeable, but accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence.

accommodated his political beliefs in order to win

In what contexts can adapt take the place of adjust?

In some situations, the words adapt and adjust are roughly equivalent. However, adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances.

adapted themselves to the warmer climate

When could conform be used to replace adjust?

The words conform and adjust are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle.

refused to conform to society's values

When is it sensible to use reconcile instead of adjust?

The meanings of reconcile and adjust largely overlap; however, reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible.

tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew

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 adjust Coaches must schedule water breaks and adjust outside activity when the heat is extreme. Michael Swartzon, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 Clarify one commitment, adjust a meeting if needed, and choose steady support over social noise or obligation. Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 The women’s collection spans low-rise jeans, high-rise bootcut jeans and baggy jeans with side waist tabs to adjust rise and eliminate waist gapping. Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026 Al-Deek says relief can come from a few different directions — hormone replacement therapy, switching to a different antidepressant, adjusting your dose or tapering off the medication altogether. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adjust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjust
Verb
  • For instance, organizations routinely apply these tools to localize regional marketing campaigns, update compliance documentation and adapt customer service knowledge bases, to name a few.
    Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • During the day, the menu reclaims fry bread, a dish with a knotty history among Indigenous groups, as they were forced to adapt to US government rations when forcibly displaced from their homes.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • With Mike McDaniel tailoring an offense around him, and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle offering lethal receiver targets, Tagovailoa threw 73 touchdowns, compared with 29 interceptions, over those three seasons.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • District 6 Councilwoman Kimberly Owens suggested CMPD write that promise into the language of the law, tailoring the curfew to explicitly focus on gatherings of a certain size.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • All of the windows—and even the kitchen island and the couple’s bed platform—conform to the same dimensions.
    Sean Santiago, Architectural Digest, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Joby has flown its first FAA-conforming aircraft and entered the final stage of type certification.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Costco is an awkward exhibit for putting shareholder-value maximization in the driver’s seat.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Espada is paid to put it in favorable positions, even when few seem to exist.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Runway desk has an agnostic look—something that thankfully suits your ever-evolving design tastes.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Governments generally don’t need a model that’s as powerful as what’s on the frontier to automate a few tasks; Ting explains that a tiny model, even one with as few as 1 billion parameters, can suit those purposes.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Adjust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjust. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster