apply (oneself)

verb

Definition of apply (oneself)next
as in to buckle (down)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply (oneself)
  1. pitch in
  2. dig in
  3. slave
  4. knuckle down
  5. labor
  6. bang away
  7. struggle
Verb
  • Sananda Fru pitched in with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Employers, relatives, friends, local governments and philanthropic groups can also pitch in.
    — Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of pitch in
Verb
  • Two Hollywood titans linking up is bound to yield some impressive results, but fans will have to dig in and wait until 2028.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • They’re made without a fly and have a stretchy waistband that won’t dig in.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 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
  • But for Spring/Summer 2027, the dust has largely settled, as many from this fresh cohort knuckle down and develop their second or third collections.
    — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of knuckle down
Verb
  • His parents labored to reclaim local wetlands to grow wheat and soybeans.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Virginia Theological Seminary makes annual cash payments to the descendants whose family members labored on its campus during slavery and Jim Crow eras.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 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
  • But even when Antetokounmpo was on the court in the second half, the Heat struggled.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The high prices are adding to pain for cattle ranchers in western states, who were already struggling with persistent drought.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle
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.

Browse Nearby Words

applying (to)
apply (oneself)
apply (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Apply (oneself).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply%20%28oneself%29. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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