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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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 exemption would be phased in beginning next January, initially applying to vehicles built before 1981 and expanding by one model year for five years. — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 One counterargument to the policy of applying economic pressure is that the US has been sanctioning Iran, like a handful of other nations, for decades without sparking meaningful political change. — Magdalena Del Valle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 When China’s bloated property sector began to crater in 2021, Beijing punted again, rebalancing by applying its industrial policy to high-value manufacturing—EVs, batteries, solar modules, and semiconductors. — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 Getting stuck in a cycle of applying, waiting, and wondering is. — Zulekha Nathoo, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Patinkin says your fingers are perfectly capable of applying a skin tint, and the warmth of your hands actually helps melt the product into the skin. — Marci Robin, Allure, 13 Aug. 2026 In the United Kingdom and Germany, top individual income tax rates reach 45% and 42%, respectively, with additional surcharges potentially applying in certain circumstances. — Alia Noor, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Other ways to reduce flares in the summer include wearing lightweight, breathable fabrics to minimize friction and sweat accumulation on plaques, showering promptly after sweating, and applying emollients to maintain your skin barrier. — Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2026 The court said federal children’s privacy laws prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for applying

Verb

Relationship science draws a useful line here between two ways of relating.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Presenting one idea, and then relating it back to something political.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 July 2026

Definition of relating

Verb

Meanwhile, police departments struggling with staffing shortages and budget cuts have stopped devoting resources to sweeping users and dealers off the streets or out of parks and playgrounds.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Commentary on balancing internal compute allocations with devoting resources to rent externally will also be notable, given Microsoft continues to invest in Copilot and its first-party AI models.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 26 July 2026

Definition of devoting

Verb

Newspapers in Arabic, Urdu and Persian, published in cities such as Bombay, now Mumbai, Calcutta, or Kolkata, Istanbul, London and Cairo helped in spreading religious and political ideas across the globe.

— Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
The wildfire started Saturday in Lassen County before spreading into Sierra County and Washoe County, prompting thousands of evacuations north of Reno.

— Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of spreading

Verb

Carrick using Mbeumo as a centre-forward is not new — but the way United’s forward line is gelling around him is.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
In Little Rock, former Police Chief Heath Helton, who stepped down in May, was a strong advocate for using technology like license plate reader cameras to support the department's operations.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of using

Verb

Instead, in the late 19th century, Japan started to build its own empire, exerting influence over Korea as well as Manchuria, an important area of modern-day China that borders Korea, Russia and Mongolia.

— Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
The dynamic underscores how Trump continues to view tariffs as a tool for exerting pressure, both for trade grievances and as leverage in broader negotiations.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Definition of exerting

Verb

But Assistant District Attorney Michael Naughton in his opening argument told the court Habib was breaking the law, not enforcing it.

— Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare Regulation 110(3) unconstitutional, block Nuñez and Duart from enforcing it against ICEBreakers members, and award compensatory and punitive damages against Rodriguez, Parra and Hamilton.

— Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of enforcing

Verb

What’s happening in Gaza is excessive retribution, and many Americans do not support that carnage, as recent polls pertaining to Israel indicate.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
In December, the Justice Department started releasing investigative records pertaining to Epstein and Maxwell in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

— Savannah Peters, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Verb

Meidroth greeted Julian Garcia with a drive to left field for his 12th homer, giving the White Sox a 3-0 lead.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
The Valkyries have four days off between Wednesday’s game against the Sky and their Monday showdown with the Wings, giving Stokes time to recover from her concussion.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026