as in decided
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
after that near catastrophe, they opted to reinstate the telephone service
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Recent Examples of opted
In many cases, operators opted to shut in wells rather than send repair crews into adverse weather conditions.
—
Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Garrett opted to stick with his lineup that had been playing well for most of the fourth quarter rather than subbing in fresh legs off the bench during San Clemente’s run.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
But the duo ultimately stayed more than nine months because of technical issues that cropped up en route with the Starliner vehicle — which NASA opted to fly home empty due to safety concerns.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Helen posed with the jacket unzipped, showing off a white T-shirt and an orange bag, while her kids opted to keep their jackets zipped.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
While juries in Texas sometimes determine criminal sentences, Gonzales has opted to be sentenced by Judge Sid Harle if he is convicted.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
According to the court filings, Flores had been in ICE custody since September and opted for deportation.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The music producer, meanwhile, opted for a lighter color palette.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026
As for their final guesses, Robin Thicke chose Keke Palmer, McCarthy-Wahlberg opted for Leslie Jones, and Ken Jeong picked Wanda Sykes.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Garrett opted to stick with his lineup that had been playing well for most of the fourth quarter rather than subbing in fresh legs off the bench during San Clemente’s run.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
But the duo ultimately stayed more than nine months because of technical issues that cropped up en route with the Starliner vehicle — which NASA opted to fly home empty due to safety concerns.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Helen posed with the jacket unzipped, showing off a white T-shirt and an orange bag, while her kids opted to keep their jackets zipped.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
While juries in Texas sometimes determine criminal sentences, Gonzales has opted to be sentenced by Judge Sid Harle if he is convicted.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
According to the court filings, Flores had been in ICE custody since September and opted for deportation.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The music producer, meanwhile, opted for a lighter color palette.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026
As for their final guesses, Robin Thicke chose Keke Palmer, McCarthy-Wahlberg opted for Leslie Jones, and Ken Jeong picked Wanda Sykes.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opted
Verb
-
After a few minutes, Ricky decided to go back to their grandparents’ home, about two blocks away.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Whichever producer decided to make this the first award of the night, good job.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The construct of the NFL typically reserves those picks for the teams still searching for the quarterback, not those who have already figured it out.—
Sam McDowell
January 21,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2026
-
That, then, figured to really be the end … until last summer, when the Mountain West allowed Grand Canyon to join the conference a year earlier than planned.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opted. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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