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 administration is applying extraordinary pressure on the state less than one week away from Election Day. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 29 Oct. 2026 The number of Americans applying for unemployment claims dipped last week to 194,000 — the lowest since mid-July — as layoffs remain low and most Americans enjoy job security. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 After the judge’s ruling, prosecutors considered applying a new Florida law that mandates death sentences for undocumented immigrants convicted of capital offenses, since Lopez Andrade is an undocumented Honduran national. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 The key legal questions being grappled with by courts throughout the US are whether event contracts offered by prediction markets qualify as swaps, and whether the CFTC jurisdiction over swaps preempts states from applying their gambling laws. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026 Insurers and employers who offer coverage are required to provide this document to anyone applying for coverage. — Helen Levy, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026 Both Disney Channel queens dazzled in tiaras for the shoot, which sees the pair sitting beside each other on a pink carpet while applying the Rare Beauty blush. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026 The policy, at the forefront of debate over the intersection of age bias and safety, requires physicians age 70 and older who are applying to obtain or renew hospital privileges to undergo vision and neuro-psychological examination. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026 There is a special difficulty in applying just-war theory to wars between a powerful military and an insurgent group. — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for applying

Verb

Conflict with Indigenous peoples on the Maine frontier had sent traumatized refugees into the region, relating horror stories of attacks on their homes.

— Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
Vollmann was also pessimistic, relating that feeling comes from more than America’s current political issues, but also from the world’s environmental problems.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of relating

Verb

Amanpour did not offer a reason for her departure, devoting most of her memo to thanking the production crews who worked with her over the years.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
The impact could be significant in terms of medical costs and devoting more funding toward actual care rather than other costs.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of devoting

Verb

The combination also reduced the hazard of cancer spreading to distant sites or death by 38%.

— Mike McRae October 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Now, Rue Simmons is spreading the nation’s first municipal reparations program to more than 100 communities across the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of spreading

Verb

All three said West Point appears to be circumventing the judge's ruling by using a different justification to continue to enforce its speech rules.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
How people are using agents Several themes are emerging from people testing agents in their personal and professional lives.

— Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of using

Verb

Bond yields in France, for example, ticked up to their highest levels since 2002 on Wednesday, exerting more pressure on government budgets.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Subsequent trials in the late 1960s and ’70s eventually proved its effectiveness, and the drug ultimately was recognized for exerting strong antipsychotic effects with virtually no adverse impacts on motor function.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of exerting

Verb

In return, Washington must accept that its partners would be joining a defensive maritime mission—not enforcing the naval blockade or entering the war against Iran.

— Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026
The executive order was quickly met with a flurry of lawsuits, which resulted in a preliminary injunction blocking the USPS from enforcing any new rules in response to Trump’s order.

— Philip Wang, Time, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of enforcing

Verb

Furthermore, events following August 31st, 2026, and/or pertaining to individual persons affiliated/associated to the brands were not included in the metrics.

— TIME Staff, Time, 28 Oct. 2026
Though the complaint alleged that Full Sail University was part of the fraud, the judge found that the claimants had failed to offer any details pertaining to that school.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Verb

The design has also been selected for export programmes in Poland and Indonesia, giving it a growing international footprint.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Something could come together quietly through a helpful conversation, a small favor, or someone giving you useful information without much fanfare.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026