APPLY Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

apply

verb

ə-ˈplī

Definition of apply

as in to relate

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to spread

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

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as in to use

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

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as in to exert

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

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as in to enforce

to carry out effectively a police officer applying the law

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 apply As information becomes universally accessible and routine knowledge work becomes increasingly automated, the ability to retrieve facts will matter less than the ability to interpret, synthesize and apply knowledge in context. — Mo Husain, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 The major issue is that while the idea looks good on paper, that doesn't necessarily mean it could be applied toward a practical warp drive technology any time soon. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Taking steps to improve your credit score makes sense prior to applying for a mortgage. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026 That combination can get past the skepticism many of us have learned to apply to obviously shady emails and suspicious websites. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apply

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply

Verb

Lisa Janssen, a Brookfield resident, tried to get the state to set aside two liens against her son and deceased husband, both of whom had been to prison for a variety of larceny, theft and drug-related crimes.

— Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Instead, our plants might be dealing with heat and drought-related leaf scorch.

— Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of relate

Verb

Instead of promoting the new album, George mostly ignored his own catalog, devoting two-thirds of the set to oldies by his heroes, including David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Culture Club, and Elton John.

— Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Time magazine devoted its annual 1975 Man of the Year issue to Women of the Year.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of devote

Verb

Mayor Mamdani’s aides violated city rules and state law in using the disappearing Signal app to send messages to internet influencers to help them to spread word of the mayor’s achievements.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026
Extracting it economically remains difficult because uranium atoms are spread across vast volumes of water.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of spread

Verb

By using a dedicated promotional code, readers can unlock the full October Prime Day discount immediately, alongside an additional $20 off the sale price.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Residents were evacuated from 85 homes in the village of Whelford near the base on Sunday, and army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine three white vans.

— ALASTAIR GRANT, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of use

Verb

Within this region are two major neural pathways, known as the direct and indirect pathways, which appear to exert opposing influences over which actions are expressed.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
But Warren Jeffs remains acknowledged as the current living prophet by his followers, and reports suggest that Jeffs continues to exert significant influence over his community even after his incarceration.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of exert

Verb

For too long, Washington failed to enforce our immigration laws, and the resulting chaos overwhelmed communities and strained resources nationwide.

— Don Bacon, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
However, in that same video, Mamdani acknowledged that the city did not have the authority to enforce the warrant, instead calling on the federal government to act.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of enforce

Verb

The changes mainly pertain to nonresident waterfowl hunting hours, reopening the fall turkey season, and changes to state park entrance and camping fees.

— Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
His tenure was cut short amid allegations pertaining to his spending of city funds as well as a relationship with an 18-year-old high school student.

— Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of pertain

Verb

That behavior gives engineers a way to control how a material stores and releases electrical energy.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Most of those steps have been blocked by various courts, in part because the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, but provides no such power to the president.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026