1
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
Sam applied himself to writing thank-you letters to everyone who'd helped sponsor him for the charity walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface
apply the ointment liberally
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to use
to put into action or service
apply the laws of motion to this physics problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
as in to enforce
to carry out effectively
a police officer applying the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apply
The highest rating a Star Wars film ever got was PG-13, the rating consistently applied to films in the franchise since 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
—
EW.com, 26 May 2025
Some eighteen hundred years later, Nietzsche had his migraines treated with leeches applied to his ears.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
His client in the case, Harry Wiley, a West Virginia coal miner, was diagnosed with an early stage of black lung and applied to NIOSH for a transfer to an environment with less dust exposure but never received a response.
—Taylor Sisk, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
The $30 cost includes all fees, but not taxes as applicable according to city, state and venue and applies to amphitheater shows throughout the U.S. and Canada.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for apply
EW.com, 26 May 2025
Some eighteen hundred years later, Nietzsche had his migraines treated with leeches applied to his ears.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
His client in the case, Harry Wiley, a West Virginia coal miner, was diagnosed with an early stage of black lung and applied to NIOSH for a transfer to an environment with less dust exposure but never received a response.
—Taylor Sisk, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
The $30 cost includes all fees, but not taxes as applicable according to city, state and venue and applies to amphitheater shows throughout the U.S. and Canada.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for apply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply
Verb
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Investigators suspected the two killings were related but ran out of leads and the cases went cold.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Islam recommends devoting no more than 5% of your portfolio to thematic ETFs, for example.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
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Regardless of high prices, Bulgari’s Creative Director Lucia Silvestri has devoted herself to making the pieces more wearable, articulated, and comfortable on the body.—
Daisy Shaw-Ellis,
Vogue,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Biden's cancer is characterized as having a Gleason score of 9, grade group 5, which would mean the cells look very different from healthy cells and are likely to grow and spread more quickly.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Measles was fully eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, according to the CDC, meaning the virus was not spreading within the country and new cases only came from people who contracted measles abroad and returned to the U.S.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The initiative draws water from the L.A. River in downtown L.A., cleans it and uses it to irrigate Los Angeles State Historic Park.—
Lucy Handley,
CNBC,
1 June 2025
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In 2024, Summers performed an Off-Broadway show about his life titled The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, which used Double Dare to tell his life story.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Each individual gene involved in a polygenic trait may exert only a small influence on that trait.—
Kermit Pattison,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
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Councilmember Yusef Salaam, who represents the area and exerts tremendous influence over whether or not One45 will pass in the Council, expressed myriad concerns about the project.—
Téa Kvetenadze,
New York Daily News,
20 May 2025
Verb
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However, after the Supreme Court ruled last week that the Trump administration can enforce the ban amid the pending lawsuits, Cmdr.—
Deena Zaru,
ABC News,
19 May 2025
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The campaign will include the use of AI social media monitoring tools that will help the league enforce a revised code of conduct.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2025
Verb
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For instance, Santa Ana voters were set to decide on a measure that would have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, but this pertained solely to voting rights, not election administration.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The panel's judgement pertained to two lawsuits — one filed by a group of states led by Arizona and Oregon, and other led by several small businesses.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
29 May 2025
Verb
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But there are few substitutes for availability, and no player has given more to Spurs this season than Porro.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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In the first instance, Annapolis needs to give Baltimore City full control over its own tax rates.—
Daniel Brennan,
Baltimore Sun,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Apply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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