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
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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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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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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
Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the more exacting standard raises questions about whether Tennessee’s law would survive.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 18 June 2025
The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
By leveraging this technology, engineers can design entire data centers and facilities to exacting power, space, cooling and performance requirements with pinpoint accuracy.
—Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Adjective
The princess line reached its apogee around the turn of the century, in the creations of Jean-Philippe for the House of Worth’s most exacting and original client, Élisabeth de Riquet de Caraman-Chimay, a.k.a.
—Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the more exacting standard raises questions about whether Tennessee’s law would survive.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 18 June 2025
Verb
Each bite arresting time for a moment, three of more than 20 exacting courses served each night as a part of chef Nich Bazik’s two-and-a-half-hour tasting menu.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
By leveraging this technology, engineers can design entire data centers and facilities to exacting power, space, cooling and performance requirements with pinpoint accuracy.
—Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacting
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Integrating such a messy light source into a silicon photonics chip required careful engineering.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Here’s how all four teams look heading into their Championship Series, along with some rigorous, confident analysis for each team.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Whereas degree programs have to go through rigorous faculty and administrative oversight, which can take years, non-degree programs don’t require the same kind of oversight.—
Chris Quintana,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Travel could be very difficult to impossible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The mother of five admitted that being away from her family for long periods of time was challenging, but the sacrifice was necessary for Jordan’s athletic development.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The second, more challenging phase — aimed at dismantling Hamas and deciding Gaza’s future leadership — has yet to be negotiated.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Fort Worth residents packed a city council public comment meeting Tuesday, demanding that Mayor Mattie Parker apologize for comments directed at nonprofit leader and community activist Patrice Jones.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The movie is filled with long takes that owe little to theatrical continuity and instead emphasize the action’s inescapable and demanding physicality.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The full-beam bow and superstructure give the yacht a bold and imposing profile while increasing onboard comfort.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
14 Oct. 2025
-
These imposing machines are powered by 600-hp diesel engines, and feature a hydraulic load-handling system that can quickly load and unload 20-ft (6-m) containers and flat-rack engineering mission modules (for building or repairing bridges, for example).—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.—
Manuel Rueda,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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Taxi and bus drivers, meanwhile, say gangs are extorting them for money and that the government is not doing enough to intervene.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Calls to reject the institutional mystique of the Supreme Court in particular have been growing louder across the political spectrum.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Running in particular has become Gen Z’s latest fixation, and many see the activity as a way to connect with others while also staying fit.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacting. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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