1
as in careful
hard to please
he was shocked when his normally exacting supervisor complimented him on a job well done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rigorous
not allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards
the prep school's exacting standards for admission
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the new recruits had to adjust themselves to the exacting discipline of military life
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4
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
writing will always be an exacting task
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in demanding
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imposing
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
3
as in extorting
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats
that loan shark can be counted upon to exact repayment of his loan by whatever means necessary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exacting
Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the more exacting standard raises questions about whether Tennessee’s law would survive.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 18 June 2025
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
While the sources may have been past colleagues, and the archival papers her own work, Orlean set out to be exhaustive and exacting in charting her personal history.
—Nathan Smith, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Adjective
The princess line reached its apogee around the turn of the century, in the creations of Jean-Philippe for the House of Worth’s most exacting and original client, Élisabeth de Riquet de Caraman-Chimay, a.k.a.
—Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the more exacting standard raises questions about whether Tennessee’s law would survive.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 18 June 2025
Verb
Who among us hasn’t fantasized in the shower about exacting elaborate revenge for petty upsets, or lain awake trying to reframe our humiliations as epic tales of triumph?
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
While the sources may have been past colleagues, and the archival papers her own work, Orlean set out to be exhaustive and exacting in charting her personal history.
—Nathan Smith, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacting
Adjective
-
This careful tiptoeing is probably because the scissor artwork was never meant to be sold at a wider scale.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The discovery of the solar cycle now moved Carrington to undertake a rigorous study of sunspots that soon earned him a reputation as Britain’s premier solar observer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Public markets offer transparency, governance, and liquidity; private firms, by contrast, often avoid periodic reporting and undergo less rigorous oversight.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But grass is difficult to digest for the mammal.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The stalemate over funding in Washington comes at a challenging time for the more than 40 million Americans carrying education debt.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
-
According to construction manager John Kearns, the oceans swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Villa were shooting towards their away supporters, who were demanding that the ball be put forward quickly.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Stone praised Pine’s range and suitability for the demanding role.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This, at a time when China is imposing tougher rules on exporting its own critical minerals abroad.—
Pilar Arias,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The Cleveland Browns are coming off an imposing win against the Miami Dolphins, despite Miami being one of the worst teams in the NFL.—
Jon Conahan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Nearly a billion records were stolen across dozens of organizations, and now cybercriminals are extorting victims by threatening to publish the data unless hefty ransoms are paid.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.—
Manuel Rueda,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This particular system uses an underground connecting cable between two passenger cabins.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
For these men, in particular, better intervention could indeed be lifesaving.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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