APPLY (ONESELF) Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

apply (oneself)

verb

Definition of apply (oneself)

as in to buckle (down)

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply (oneself)

Verb

Joe Rodon, last seen limping off the pitch in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford, will be unavailable to Leeds United for eight to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.

— Beren Cross, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Of course, many high picks out of high school struggle initially with pitching in the minors.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pitch in

Verb

But Tehran’s hard-line new senior leaders including Rezaei have signaled a willingness to dig in after weathering decades of sanctions.

— Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Bra bands that dig in and have minimal side coverage can create bulges under your tops and dresses, but this under-$20 Warners style does the opposite, according to shoppers.

— Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of dig in

Verb

Magadan had a deadly reputation in the Stalin era, as a hub for Gulag mines where political prisoners slaved sometimes to death and produced gold and other minerals in the process.

— Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Po’s journey begins while slaving away at his boring noodle job on the day the Dragon Warrior is to be chosen.

— Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025

Definition of slave

Verb

Teams will use the five-week gap between the races in Japan and Miami to knuckle down at their factories and develop car upgrades that could boost their fortunes upon returning to the track in May.

— Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026

Definition of knuckle down

Verb

Admittedly the continent has labored as the AI hyper-scalers of America and China have produced products (and valuations) that make the eyes pop.

— Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Thoroughly unimpressed by her suburban idyll, and evidently unmoved by her responsibilities as wife and mother, Denise labors in her basement on a novel whose protagonist wishes to forsake her family for a life in New York.

— Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of labor

Verb

To heat-style, blow-dry curtain bangs away from the face, sweeping them from side to side with a paddle brush.

— Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 9 June 2026
Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime.

— Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025

Definition of bang away

Verb

Underwood, then a true freshman, struggled in that meeting, and his inconsistent play against Western Michigan (12-of-22 passing) has led to questions about his job status.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Despite being one of Africa’s largest oil producers, the Dangote Refinery initially struggled to secure enough domestic crude and had to turn to international suppliers at a premium.

— Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of struggle

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applying (to)

apply (oneself)

apply (to)

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“Apply (oneself).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply%20%28oneself%29. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of apply (oneself)

verb

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