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
That’s where knowing how to apply a lip tint comes in handy.
—
Grace McCarty, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
Yes, up to $1 million Terms apply.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
At Amherst, this level of pressure simply couldn’t be applied.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
That leaves Montgomery unable to apply for a waiver until October 2030, three years past his legal deadline to get a license if elected.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apply
Grace McCarty, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
Yes, up to $1 million Terms apply.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
At Amherst, this level of pressure simply couldn’t be applied.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
That leaves Montgomery unable to apply for a waiver until October 2030, three years past his legal deadline to get a license if elected.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply
Verb
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Reconciliation, by contrast, allowed Republicans to pass fiscal and revenue-related farm provisions with a simple majority, bypassing the filibuster and avoiding a stalemate that could have stretched on for years.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
31 Jan. 2026
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Usually episodes are five segments long—one, three, and five are dance/music related, and two and four are food, culture, nature, something interesting that's completely unique to the destination.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But if Rubio is serious about breaking China's grip on critical minerals, his summit should devote equal attention to building up the secondary market for recycled materials.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Firm research shows mom-and-pop investors are typically devoting only a small portion of their overall portfolios to these speculative plays, while keeping most of their money in more traditional investments.—
Yun Li,Kate Rooney,Alex Harring,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Almost immediately after oversight of TikTok’s US operations changed, misinformation started to spread about changes to the app’s new terms of service, including those that applied to location sharing and data collection, Fiesler said.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Families who never qualified say their costs are rising, too, as insurers spread the increases across the entire market.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Now, the question of whether the US could again use force – or tactics like tariffs or sanctions – to strong-arm countries into choosing Washington’s interests over ties with China is a viable risk being evaluated in the region’s capitals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Those who bought the checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them, according to federal prosecutors, using a variety of methods.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The administration is also looking at how to exert further pressure on Cuba, which is going through its worst economic crisis in many decades, to hasten regime change.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Suzuki was best known for his investigations into the Unification Church, a Korean religious movement that had exerted significant influence in Japan since the nineteen-sixties—and that maintained direct ties with Abe and his political party.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the legislature should act on the report’s recommendations with actions to strengthen reporting, enforce existing laws, prevent further abandonment of wells and ensure polluters pay for cleanup.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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Now, these men enforced that suspension, not by law, but by fear.—
Larry Pino,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Notably, that case pertained to inland Lake Winnebago.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Furthermore, events following November 28, 2025, and/or pertaining to individual persons affiliated/associated with the institutions were not included in the metrics.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Six movable struts give the cockpit full freedom of motion.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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But Black art is always compared, shared and given a value.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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