APPLIES Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

applies

verb

Definition of applies next

present tense third-person singular of apply

as in relates

to have a relation or connection does your rule about calling home apply to me as well?

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Relevance

as in devotes

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

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as in spreads

to put a layer of on a surface apply the ointment liberally

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as in uses

to put into action or service apply the laws of motion to this physics problem

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as in exerts

to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding

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as in enforces

to carry out effectively a police officer applying the law

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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 applies The $5 discount for prepaid bags still applies. —

Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television. —

Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026 The new law expands and simplifies when an infill exemption applies. —

Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026 The $5 online discount also applies to those fees, bringing the prices to $50 and $60, respectively, for those who pay in advance. —

Michele Luhn, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026 While this rule applies to all workouts, the level of importance increases in tandem with the intensity and duration. —

Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Apr. 2026 So not sure the rigorous standard applies because someone could just kind of fake it. —

Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026 The aluminum and paraben-free formula applies easily and doesn’t leave stains or residue. —

Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 The bill only applies to social media platforms with $1 billion or more in annual advertising revenue, a pool that includes other social media giants such as YouTube and TikTok but may not capture other popular platforms like Discord, which is widely used by gamers. —

Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for applies

Verb

Considered narrowly, statesmanship relates primarily to politics and government.

— John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Antinous is the principal mortal antagonist in Homer’s Odyssey, which relates Odysseus’s difficulties while getting home and how Penelope and her son, Telemachus, struggled to maintain their authority on Ithaca.

— Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2026