1
as in correct
being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard
maybe I wasn't being very exact when I said I had done it a million times—but it sure seemed like it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in precise
being neither more nor less than a certain amount, number, or extent
the exact number of passengers on that airplane was 147
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in accurate
following an original exactly
an exact replica of an aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II
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4
as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy
the company stresses that its optical telescopes are exact instruments and should not be handled as toys
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5
as in mathematical
meeting the highest standard of accuracy
in order for the blind to fit properly, we must have the exact measurements of the window
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to demand
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority
every war inevitably exacts the greatest sacrifice possible from some of the nation's best and brightest
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2
as in to impose
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
vowed to exact a heavy fine from any hockey player engaging in such outrageous behavior on the ice
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exact
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Patrons can buy and sell sets, both old and new, shop for individual mini-figures and other pieces and sift through the bulk area, which might just have the exact piece a customer is looking for.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Hepburn and Taylor were two of Brynner’s closest friends who passed long before her, willing her jewels that lived up to her exacting taste.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exact
Adjective
Kayley said the app — like the wearable stethoscope, which is designed to pinpoint the exact location of an abnormal lung or heart sound and help guide diagnosis and treatment — was inspired by her own health struggles.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Patrons can buy and sell sets, both old and new, shop for individual mini-figures and other pieces and sift through the bulk area, which might just have the exact piece a customer is looking for.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
Compelled to exact revenge upon those who dare to disrespect her idol on social media, Dre carves a bloody path of obsession all the way to the singer’s doorstep.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Hepburn and Taylor were two of Brynner’s closest friends who passed long before her, willing her jewels that lived up to her exacting taste.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exact
Adjective
-
The annual revision is a standard BLS procedure that helps correct sampling and modeling errors.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Without the correct attributes — competitiveness, mindset, IQ, internal drive — Donovan fears a young player could flounder in Chicago.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Using fresh data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science have produced the most precise measurements yet of the solar system’s largest planet, showing that Jupiter is slightly smaller and more flattened than earlier estimates suggested.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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Advertising in the Super Bowl is usually a play for mass reach, but some marketers are using the spectacle in more precise fashion.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Federal data is fluid and frequently subject to change as more detailed and accurate information becomes available.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The moments that could be regarded as direct criticism were rare and subtle.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
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The skirt is made with an intentionally creased texture and features a straight cut with a subtle flare at the hem.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In the same period, mathematician Gladys West developed the mathematical models for global positioning systems, known as GPS.—
Melinda Laituri,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Alexander does not possess Hall’s je ne sais quoi,which goes beyond the mathematical proportions a plastic surgeon might recommend and toward an innate sense of style.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her mother had been transferred from the federal building in Minneapolis to a controversial Texas detention facility 1,400 miles away, according to John Hayden, an attorney who within days secured a federal court order demanding her return to Minnesota.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Former President Bill Clinton is demanding that his House oversight committee testimony about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein be in a public hearing.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Amid the ongoing militarized clampdown and a de facto nighttime curfew imposed in major cities, large-scale mass protests are no longer taking place.—
Hamid Kashani,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
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Whether Kevin Warsh can navigate a graceful exit from the Fed’s extraordinary interventions—or whether markets will impose their own solution would be the defining question of his tenure.—
Daniel J. Arbess,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gangs have branched out beyond drug trafficking to extort money from small businesses and dominate entire industries, such as the avocado and lime trade.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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That contact allegedly used the situation to extort the child and his brother for money in exchange for not telling their mother about the incident.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exact. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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