Definition of conformnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb conform contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of conform are accommodate, adapt, adjust, and reconcile. While all these words mean "to bring one thing into correspondence with another," conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle.

refused to conform to society's values

Where would accommodate be a reasonable alternative to conform?

The words accommodate and conform can be used in similar contexts, but accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence.

accommodated his political beliefs in order to win

When could adapt be used to replace conform?

The meanings of adapt and conform largely overlap; however, adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances.

adapted themselves to the warmer climate

When would adjust be a good substitute for conform?

In some situations, the words adjust and conform are roughly equivalent. However, adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism.

adjusted the budget to allow for inflation

When might reconcile be a better fit than conform?

The synonyms reconcile and conform are sometimes interchangeable, but reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible.

tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew

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 conform In another blow to Clancy's defense, prosecutors asked psychologist Kirk Heilbrun whether someone hearing a command hallucination could still conform their conduct to the law. Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Answers have been edited only to conform with style, and not for spelling or grammar. Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 25 Aug. 2026 All of the windows—and even the kitchen island and the couple’s bed platform—conform to the same dimensions. Sean Santiago, Architectural Digest, 24 Aug. 2026 The key to it is to give these kids an opportunity in the summer to be with their peers and not have to conform to always having to do hard things. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conform
Verb
  • In November 2024, for instance, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a policy banning transgender people from using some Capitol restrooms that do not correspond with their gender at birth.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • To construct this curve, experts formed a cross section of objects in higher dimensions, the boundary of which corresponds to the elliptic curve.
    Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • All are worth a visit, but my personal favorite is La Vara, which blends Jewish and Moorish influences to honor Southern Spain’s rich culinary history.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Popular music from the 1960s blended the Khmer heritage of courtly performing arts with French cabaret songs, brass music, and bossa nova introduced by way of the Philippines.
    H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Reports indicate that though Harry has reconciled with his father, King Charles, William still has no intention of meeting with his younger brother.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While her own family has never stepped foot in Taiwan, Lily holds onto the belief that perfecting her Mandarin will finally reconcile the shortcomings of being a diaspora kid.
    Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Integrators who adapt their service delivery models stand to increase overall profitability by up to 30%.
    Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The legendary Danny Boyle directs, with a screenplay adapted by Graham from his stage play.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Playing Alice on the Apple TV+ series has also coincided with a formative stretch in Maxwell’s career.
    Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The sharp price hikes have coincided with an escalation in the Iran war, including a recent drone attack on Saudi Arabia's critical East-West oil pipeline.
    Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Most consumer clocks are built on DNA methylation, a process in which chemical tags called methyl groups attach to DNA as a person ages, altering the cytosine base and creating a pattern that correlates with biological age.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Process analyzers fail or their readings are not correlated to laboratory results.
    Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The club had been away since relegation in 2018 and during that period had to adjust to fielding much more mundane talent.
    David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Kory Kantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics for the Americas, told Fortune that economists typically adjust labor-market data to remove predictable seasonal swings.
    Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Ergonomics was about chairs that were built for people, rather than chairs designed to fit efficiently into an office or be simple to stack and move.
    Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers must fit the reactor, shielding and power-conversion equipment inside a combat vehicle.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conform. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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