applies

present tense third-person singular of apply
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as in exerts
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 West Virginia’s ban also applies at every level of competition, but only from middle school through college. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 July 2026 The same process applies for minors if all living parents agree to the name change. Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 For instance, a 2023 Massachusetts law applies a 4% tax to people earning over $1 million a year, while Washington state implemented a new tax on income over that amount earlier this year. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 1 July 2026 Kansas City, Missouri, which will host a round-of-32 game on Friday and a quarterfinal next week, similarly applies a 1% tax to nonresidents’ income earned there. Brett Knight, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 That restriction applies to individuals as well as people or entities working together to buy multiple lottery tickets at a time. Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026 The buffer zone applies to all first responders, including ICE agents and other federal officers. Matthew Kelly july 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 Lee is also getting in on the Prime Day fun with 35% off select items for Lee rewards members (the discount applies automatically in your cart when signed in) and 20% off for non-members with promo code TAKE25. Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 25 June 2026 The equal time rule applies to TV and radio, although the rule does not extend to streaming and only in more limited ways to cable and satellite. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for applies
Verb
  • Eisman relates that Elon Musk plans to make money from ventures that only exit in the fictional world.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • The North Dakota library, located near the national park gateway town of Medora, devotes a number of exhibits to Roosevelt’s commitment to protecting America’s vanishing wildlands and wild animals.
    Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
  • For example, one of my friends devotes each day of the week to a different zone in her house.
    Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • The virus spreads through the saliva or nervous system tissue of infected mammals, usually through bites.
    Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Those worries make sense, and understanding how bird flu spreads and what to watch for is the best way to protect your flock and yourself.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Summer uses a family trip to a Caribbean resort to cause chaos and sabotage the relationship.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Unlike conventional ion traps that rely on oscillating radio-frequency fields, the Penning trap uses static electric and magnetic fields.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Although the Florida Bar continues to make recommendations, the governor exerts significant influence over those recommendations.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026
  • Viewed from a distance, the pressure AI exerts on human artists appears as part of an evolutionary process that far predates its own invention.
    Tim Brinkhof, Time, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The heat dome enforces that there cannot be any other higher pressure air in every direction.
    Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • OpenAI starts with national opportunity and democratic competitiveness, and the House draft starts with institutional capacity, asking who defines risk, who verifies compliance, who collects labor data and who enforces the rules.
    Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Starting next month, the law will prohibit the sale of any food product that isn’t labeled with either phrase — this pertains to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • The arguments stem from a pretrial motion in which Judge Weeks directed that testimony be limited to only what pertains to the charge at hand, involving the retaliation against James Saulter.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Refine a portfolio piece, build a small prototype, or share a draft with someone who gives honest notes.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
  • The softened felt gives under his fingers, then holds, each adjustment staying a little longer than the last.
    Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Applies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/applies. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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