APPLYING Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

applying

verb

present participle of apply

as in relating

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

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Relevance

as in devoting

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 spreading

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

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as in using

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

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as in exerting

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

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as in enforcing

to carry out effectively a police officer applying the law

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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 applying The people in the crosshairs The most drastic shifts impact those who plan to stay in Japan for the longest – those applying for permanent residency, a status that grants rights to work, unlimited entries, and infinite stay. — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 In a normal Transformer, tokens—the units of information that large language models process—are passed from lower layers of a model’s neural network to higher layers sequentially, with each layer applying mathematical operations in turn. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 At the time, most of Navarrete’s clients were women applying for a U visa, which offers legal status for crime victims who assist law enforcement in the prosecution of perpetrators. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Deputies treated the man at the scene, applying a tourniquet to his wound, before he was taken to a hospital where he was said to be in stable condition. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Saudi Arabia is applying the same lessons in resiliency that Aramco, one of HUMAIN’s shareholders, applied to securing its oil infrastructure, Amin said. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Contrary to popular belief, applying ice or using a tourniquet can worsen the effects of a venomous snakebite by slowing blood flow. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 Allow the serum to dry completely before applying any other products or lying down to sleep. — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026 Vanessa said her South Florida hospital tried to help by applying for a work visa on her behalf, but the application was denied. — Tania Francois, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for applying

Verb

Under its terms, the incentive allows a 35% to 50% credit on qualified expenses relating specifically to postproduction in California.

— Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Relationship science draws a useful line here between two ways of relating.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of relating

Verb

Her reporting reveals stunning details about the high-level government officials who are devoting their time and influence to enable what is, essentially, a portfolio of home-renovation and vanity projects.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
With financial support from all the major record labels, AEN began devoting major blocks of program time to music videos and related content with interactive links enabling consumer purchase.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of devoting

Verb

The bumper is designed to break up any incoming debris particles, spreading the impact energy over a larger area of the wall.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026
The attack can also hit both Android and iOS WeChat accounts, spreading itself through phone calls on the app.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of spreading

Verb

Researchers in the United States are shaping the nanoscience frontier, using atomic‑scale control to accelerate advances in electronics, energy storage, catalysis, sensing and medicine.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Countries where high schoolers reported using digital devices for around two to three hours per day in school saw higher test scores, but scores fell once tech use climbed beyond that.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of using

Verb

In March, the Supreme Court barred California from enforcing state rules that restrict when schools can notify parents about students who come out as transgender and require teachers to use children’s preferred pronouns.

— Daniella Silva, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
The statutes of Life, Truth, and Love, all synonyms for God, are the laws of God at work throughout all of creation, enforcing unselfishness, integrity, and justice for all.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of enforcing

Verb

What started in one state court has now spread across the country, with a plethora of athletes filing lawsuits against the NCAA, and now SEC, over new guidelines enacted pertaining to the five-for-five eligibility.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
While sections pertaining to the house itself are both gripping and eerie (rooms flood, tiles rearrange, visions flicker), the real terror comes from human history.

— Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Verb

In standard Series 62 form, the engine produced around 210 hp, giving the big Cadillac plenty of muscle for its era.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026
Seattle can keep itself in games, much like this one, by stone-walling opponents and giving its offense a chance to take advantage of short fields and turnovers.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026