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 billionaire chairman and CEO of WorldQuant has been a pioneer in applying AI and other technologies to vast collections of data, looking to build predictive models from historical information. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026 The tradeoff is that applying for the new card will typically result in a hard inquiry, which may cause a small, but temporary, credit score decline. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 Users can customize as desired, including applying a genuine 35mm film effect or asking the bot to dress the subject in natural '80s fashion. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 The discipline is applying it to every task instead of defaulting to keeping a person in the loop out of habit. — Rajesh Gharpure, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Consider applying an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil after pruning to smother scale and insect eggs to the dormant roses. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026 That is much more effective at killing roots than applying weed killer in the spring. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026 Combined with Babcock’s obsession with forwards applying heavy pressure on the forecheck, there’s potential for Formenton to carve out a role as a checking forward in the bottom six. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 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

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

Despite those disputes, the EEOC has been regularly enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, pursuing companies who deny pregnant workers accommodations.

— Claire Savage, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
There is a legitimate economic argument for enforcing work permits, business licenses and rules reserving certain sectors for citizens.

— Vivianne Wandera, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of enforcing

Verb

The web portal will launch with a glossary of some 180 terms pertaining to AI designed to bring standardization to what has been an unruly moving target.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Those are some of the main items pertaining to working conditions that were codified in a memorandum of understanding between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association in June 2025.

— Chris Johnston, New York Times, 8 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