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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 Besides approving Senate Bill 429 Tuesday, the committee also known as Triple-E voted to make the House version conform to the Senate version, rejecting several cuts on collaborative time and per pupil funding first proposed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore. William J. Ford, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2025 Cognitive dissonance, motivated reasoning, and the pressure to conform are powerful psychological forces that can prevent people from accepting the truth. Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 Major League Baseball confirmed that the bats in question conform to the league's maximum size rules and manufacturer regulations. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 But the exponential complexity of these models doesn’t seem to conform with the behavior of black holes, which appear to scramble information very quickly. Quanta Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conform
Verb
  • Cox and his team ensure each of their rentals (and their corresponding shower curtains) are clean and cared for.
    Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The regulations sought to address transactions that resulted in artificial increases to the basis of property, thereby generating tax benefits without corresponding economic outlay.
    Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In Canada, many producers ferment and distill the different grains in the mash bill separately and then blend them post-distillation.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Read Next California Estate designed ‘to blend with the river and foothills’ lists near Fresno.
    TJ Macias, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • State agencies then set about reconciling the pre-existing medical cannabis regulations with the new adult use law.
    Robert Hoban, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Because the House made changes to the Senate’s original version, lawmakers will either need to form a conference committee to reconcile the differences or the Senate could vote to accept the House’s version as is.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The digital marketing industry seems to reinvent itself every time new tech develops — which requires marketing consultants to adapt right alongside the revolving door of trends.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Being able to adapt to change, focus on what’s relevant, switch between tasks, manage conflict, and recognize systems that may be different are all important aspects of the answer to this question.
    Pia Lauritzen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And that rapid genetic adaptation has coincided with a northward march of the pythons, which have now been detected—at least through detection of their DNA in environmental droppings—well beyond Lake Okeechobee.
    Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Or, plan a visit during late June or early July to coincide with Vincy Mas, the nation's carnival celebration held primarily on St. Vincent.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Filtering water, practicing good hygiene, and cleaning cooking implements correlated with avoiding that complaint.
    Wes Siler, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The team concluded that the use of digital technology correlates with a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment, even after adjusting for gender, age and education level.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Why Milwaukee could win: Friday night, the Bucks adjusted.
    Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • They're fitted at the waist and thighs, and widen from the knee to the ankle, creating the illusion of more length, especially when worn with high heels.
    René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2025
  • At 300 km/h, with grandstands looming to fit 45,000 fans, La Monumental could become a scene-stealer.
    Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conform. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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