1
as in careful
hard to please
he was shocked when his normally exacting supervisor complimented him on a job well done
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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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
since I was a guest in their home, I was not about to critique the dinner with the exactingness of a professional restaurant reviewer
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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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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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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
Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Alexander-Arnold is not unique in being held to a different, more exacting standard than the vast majority.
—Rory Smith, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Playing, winning, is exacting its toll in the form of pain.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Adjective
And his budgets, then as now, tended to reflect more exotic materials and more exacting processes.
—Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Alexander-Arnold is not unique in being held to a different, more exacting standard than the vast majority.
—Rory Smith, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
The dual pressures of addiction and burnout are exacting a steep toll on America’s entrepreneurs and executives.
—Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Playing, winning, is exacting its toll in the form of pain.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacting
Adjective
-
For most, wealth results from years of hard work, careful planning, and disciplined saving.—
Georgette Virgo,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
-
While the latest inflation and jobs market reports showed that any disruption caused by tariffs has so far been minor, the Fed is clearly being careful about what could happen in the coming weeks and months.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Adopt a zero-trust security model that emphasizes rigorous access rules and constant authentication.—
Rob Lydic,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
The next afternoon, Gomes sat in and watched Ohtani throw a rigorous bullpen session to simulate multiple innings.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
This moderately difficult, half-mile trail through the Mission Hills Open Space, is located across from Pioneer Park.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
-
Attorney Nicole Blank Becker, who represents R. Kelly, told Fox News Digital that jurors, just like anyone else, have a difficult time separating emotions from charges.—
Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
As such, piloting an FPV drone is a completely different, entirely more challenging kettle of fish than piloting a standard camera drone.—
Sam Kieldsen,
Wired News,
27 June 2025
-
All of these factors combine to make AI adoption incredibly challenging, expensive and time-consuming.—
Dave Friend,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Coupled with the severity of his illness, Kotton suspected a widespread parasitic infection.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 June 2025
-
But in the visiting clubhouse, where initial X-rays on Tatis’ hand were inconclusive about the severity of his injury, the Padres didn’t seem ready to turn down the dial.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Everest's unpredictable weather and difficult breathing conditions make this one of the most physically and mentally demanding climbs in the world.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Israel is demanding the release of all the remaining hostages, living and dead, with stages of a ceasefire in between releases, according to the ministry.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
It could be argued that imposing retaliatory tariffs on electricity exports might encourage American states to seek more cost-effective energy alternatives, particularly those based on fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.—
Ali Hoss,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
These executive orders have addressed a broad range of policy areas, including imposing tariffs that has escalated trade tensions and provoked retaliatory measures from foreign governments.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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All three platforms can cite one particular business for helping drive recent success: financial services.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune,
22 June 2025
-
Rather, the court thought that the correct analysis was whether a particular Anti-SLAPP law (here, New Jersey's UPEPA) through its text and structure was in conflict with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacting. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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