1
as in demands
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 imposes
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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Recent Examples of exacts
Despite the toll Bug exacts, however, Coon is in exceptionally good humor—if with the blinking optimism of a new year in an unstable reality.
—
Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Other parts are compressed by what's essentially a really big squishing machine, far taller than a person, that exacts a precise amount of pressure on a tiny metal sensor.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
Afghanistan is, once again, under a Taliban regime that exacts even more extreme restrictions than those of Anjuman’s childhood.
—Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
However, mythmaking exacts costs on our understanding of the past.
—Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
One game for the division (and the division’s one playoff spot)… And Seattle exacts revenge for 2019.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
All the other cord cutting exacts its pound of flesh!
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Other parts are compressed by what's essentially a really big squishing machine, far taller than a person, that exacts a precise amount of pressure on a tiny metal sensor.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
Afghanistan is, once again, under a Taliban regime that exacts even more extreme restrictions than those of Anjuman’s childhood.
—Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
However, mythmaking exacts costs on our understanding of the past.
—Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
One game for the division (and the division’s one playoff spot)… And Seattle exacts revenge for 2019.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
All the other cord cutting exacts its pound of flesh!
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacts
Verb
-
Pluto in Aquarius, on the other hand, demands evolution and progress.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
That level of flexibility usually demands a network of motors and control systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Almost every state imposes sales tax, except for Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon, which instead allows cities to charge a local sales tax.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
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The levy increases rates on hotel room and vacation rental stays but also imposes a new 11% tax on the gross fares paid by a cruise ship's passenger, prorated for the number of days the vessels are in Hawaii ports.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The best storytelling requires revision.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Then lawmakers passed a law that requires legislative approval for such an action.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The country’s geography squeezes a wild variety into a tight map.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacts. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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