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
PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
For the two musical interludes, Gaga was at her most exacting and confrontational.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Players describe it as exacting but fair, with long-iron approaches into demanding Bermuda greens.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Adjective
All told, the specifics of memory and storage drive home that the Mac mini is far more suitable to mainstream users, while the Mac Studio is for a more exacting, professional market that needs those expensive, lofty levels of RAM and storage.
—PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
For the two musical interludes, Gaga was at her most exacting and confrontational.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
The regimen was exacting, unrelenting.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Players describe it as exacting but fair, with long-iron approaches into demanding Bermuda greens.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacting
Adjective
-
Both coaches and players have been respectful of the other team all week, careful not to produce any bulletin board material.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ben Lewis Doherty, playing a boy named Sam whose life is upended by Robbie, is the show’s greatest innocent, a softhearted moppet who warns deer to be careful when crossing the street.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2025 World Beer Awards, known for their rigorous blind tastings, crowned Germany's Wolf Gang, a surprising black IPA from zum WØL BrauArt, as the top IPA.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The study reports that all test results, including algorithm design, simulations, and flight data, underwent rigorous validation.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Bulls look to be the best team in the Group of Five conferences, while the Gators and coach Billy Napier are now under pressure with a difficult SEC schedule ahead.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Usually the final day of boot camp is most difficult.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The next job frontier Gen Z workers are finding it more and more challenging to fetch entry-level jobs as AI gets better at taking those jobs over.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
2 Sep. 2025
-
But the treatment is challenging and time-consuming.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The decision also underscores the risks of vocal injury for artists performing demanding live shows night after night, a reality discussed in coverage of other recent touring cancellations.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The timing aligns with a broader industry shift—brands are increasingly demanding flexibility in their media investments, moving away from rigid upfront commitments.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And, just in time, online sports betting companies for the first time are imposing per-bet fees on Illinoisans as the companies seek to pass along new taxes imposed by Democrats in Springfield.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Trump is trying to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
-
He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In particular, the bacon bits were chilled and all stuck together in one big, congealed lump along the inside of the bowl.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Technology firms — and artificial intelligence companies such as Broadcom and Nvidia, in particular — led the rise.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacting. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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