APPLIES Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

applies

verb

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 same applies during perimenopause, when cycle length and hormonal patterns become less predictable. —

Allison Palmer june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026 This offer applies to products under warranty and even some past the warranty period (which varies by product). —

Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026 The law applies even when drivers are stopped at a red light or sitting in traffic. —

Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 4 June 2026 This provision applies to this tax year, according to Keebler. —

Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 4 June 2026 The same applies in the case of doing research. —

Christian B. Miller, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 For most dogs, though, none of that applies. —

Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 4 June 2026 The $176 million damages penalty also applies to Grossman’s husband, Peter Grossman, a prominent plastic surgeon. —

Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 4 June 2026 The measure applies in Fulton County, which includes most of Atlanta, as well as the suburbs of Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. —

ABC News, 3 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for applies

Verb

But by then, Rockmount’s shirts were iconic, Weil relates in his third book about Western apparel and Rockmount.

— Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
Silence = Death, the work of the Silence = Death Collective (and not ACT UP, as Avram Finkelstein relates in his interview) became the primary pictorial representation of ACT UP and a rallying slogan for the fight against the disease.

— Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026