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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 Writers had to conform to ideological rules; many works were banned outright. Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025 The Wausau Ethics Board recently ruled the mayor violated the City of Wausau’s Code of Ethics and ordered the mayor to conform his actions to the city's code of ethics. Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025 So why doesn’t Logano just conform to the more pessimistic outlook instead of trying to infuse others with brightness? Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 But the movie is also about a different kind of horror associated with having a child — Valeria is being forced to conform to the role of mother, with the sometimes suffocating restrictions of traditional family values. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conform
Verb
  • Even prior to the coup, the system was set up such that all proceeds from sales by state-enterprises like MTE were deposited into the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank’s roughly 50 accounts in corresponding banks across the world.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The series tends to correspond more with how most historical accounts view Guiteau, understanding him through the lens of mental illness.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Where Creativity Meets Curation Crisp’s approach blends artistic ambition with editorial curation.
    Partner Content, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The Frosty Fusions blend the sauces available for Swirls with mix-in toppings.
    Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Can Harry also reconcile with his brother, Prince William?
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Hernan and Davis parted ways by the end of season 9, but appear to have reconciled since filming wrapped.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Air travelers came and went mostly without trouble at Denver International Airport on Friday, expressing gratitude for federal air traffic controllers working without pay, ready to adapt as flight reductions ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration kicked in.
    Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
  • An ever-adapting fusion of flesh and technology, the Borg are a hostile force that seeks not just to eradicate humanity, but to enslave it, forcibly eradicating the sense of self and folding its victims into a homogenous hive mind.
    Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The watches coincide with active weather patterns and gusty winds, increasing the potential for tree damage and road closures that can complicate commutes and disrupt essential services.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
  • As more people buy a ticket for a particular day, prices go up—meaning high ticket prices will coincide with a busier day on the mountain.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In recent days, tremor patterns at the summit have been consistent with periods of low tremor that correlate with ponds filling with magma and tremor spikes related to magma drainback, according to the USGS.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Either way, this continues a recent pattern in which stock indexes have been positively correlated with Treasury yields, as shown here.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The buttons control the cooking modes, temperature setting (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit), and cook time, which can also be conveniently adjusted using the dial.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Since the advent of the transfer portal and the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL), there have been countless debates about how to create and adjust a system to establish guardrails when necessary.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • McCarty was the only trainee in his class who also had to figure out how to adapt the demanding routine in a way that fit his disability.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
  • In a back lot at Dodge Memorial County Park, a deputy spotted a car fitting that description.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conform. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on conform

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