1
as in relating
to have a relation or connection
does your rule about calling home apply to me as well?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spreading
to put a layer of on a surface
apply the ointment liberally
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in using
to put into action or service
apply the laws of motion to this physics problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in exerting
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively
apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in enforcing
to carry out effectively
a police officer applying the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of applying
To plug the gaps, faculty have been frantically applying for nonfederal sources of money.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
Overloading the joints or applying excessive torque may cause mechanical deformation or servo damage, according to reports.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Mazzulla instructed his assistants — a group that included two ex-NBA players and several former high-level college players — not to take it easy on the overmatched media team, applying a full-court press for nearly the entire game and burying their opponents beneath a barrage of 3-pointers.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
In particular, applying pesticides and other techniques to control lamprey populations costs around $20 million per year.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Instead of applying excessive pressure and using a circular motion to avoid streaks, Riding recommends wiping the glass in long vertical and horizontal strokes.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2025
Boring uses a machine known as Prufrock to dig the 12-foot-diameter tunnels, applying chemical accelerants as part of the process.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Lisberger achieved success applying the technique to commercials and educational films, while also keeping a close eye on developments in the relatively young field of computer animation.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Consumers cannot make informed purchasing decisions by looking at an avatar applying digital products.
—Donnetta Monk, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
Overloading the joints or applying excessive torque may cause mechanical deformation or servo damage, according to reports.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Mazzulla instructed his assistants — a group that included two ex-NBA players and several former high-level college players — not to take it easy on the overmatched media team, applying a full-court press for nearly the entire game and burying their opponents beneath a barrage of 3-pointers.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
In particular, applying pesticides and other techniques to control lamprey populations costs around $20 million per year.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Instead of applying excessive pressure and using a circular motion to avoid streaks, Riding recommends wiping the glass in long vertical and horizontal strokes.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2025
Boring uses a machine known as Prufrock to dig the 12-foot-diameter tunnels, applying chemical accelerants as part of the process.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Lisberger achieved success applying the technique to commercials and educational films, while also keeping a close eye on developments in the relatively young field of computer animation.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Consumers cannot make informed purchasing decisions by looking at an avatar applying digital products.
—Donnetta Monk, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for applying
Verb
-
The song, which is the second track on the album, makes several references and nods to some of Taylor's famous life, while also seemingly relating them to Swift.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The Libra balanced scales also teach us that relating is a paradox.—
Colin Bedell,
Them.,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As a working mother, Meghan has been candid about running her business while also devoting plenty of time to her kiddos.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Michaels is devoting about 25% of space in its stores to this new venture while also launching a party concept.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The videos Pritzker has been encouraging would mostly be spreading anyway.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Contain the mess by spreading an old sheet on the floor to catch any dust that falls, and make sure everything is dry before turning the fan on again.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Due to its stellar activity, the galaxy has become a favorite for astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Los Angeles alone sources beef from 10 counties, and those beef suppliers rely on livestock from 469 counties, which are fed using crops grown in 828 counties.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Beijing has long criticized Washington for exerting control beyond its borders through export rules that bar third-country companies from supplying China with chips made using American technology.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
But something will have to give if lawmakers hope to reopen the government in any timely fashion, and that movement will likely be the result of external forces exerting pressure on one party — or both of them — to break the deadlock.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The complaint seeks an injunction to prevent OHSAA from enforcing its prohibition against Brown, as well as damages, attorneys’ fees and other remedies.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
If this were truly about enforcing immigration law, the administration's methods would look very different.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Expressing a desire to move forward, group President Mary Soriano invoked a clause in California code pertaining to corporations to fill five board spots.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
People from across all walks of life are asked around 50 questions pertaining to the economy, personal finances, job prospects, inflation expectations and the like.—
Joanne Hsu,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The three-bedroom model is currently priced lower than the two-bedroom version on Amazon—essentially giving you an extra room for free.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Thanks for giving this beautiful baby a home!—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Applying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/applying. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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