APPLIES Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

applies

verb

Definition of applies next

present tense third-person singular of apply

as in relates

to have a relation or connection does your rule about calling home apply to me as well?

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Relevance

as in devotes

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in spreads

to put a layer of on a surface apply the ointment liberally

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as in uses

to put into action or service apply the laws of motion to this physics problem

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as in exerts

to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding

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as in enforces

to carry out effectively a police officer applying the law

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of applies This also applies to bedding—trading a heavy winter-time duvet for one with a lighter material like a linen or cotton percale can be a nice refresh. —

Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2026 The iconic Redbird — a name that applies to a paint scheme that’s adorned multiple classes of subway cars — began as an anti-graffiti effort in 1984. —

Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026 Twelve years later, her employer applies her physics routines to autonomous vehicle navigation. —

Ugo Troiano, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026 In other words, the tax applies to those who use their homes for personal vacations, even if the homes are occupied for three, four or five months a year. —

Kevin Cole, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026 But her husband, who is finishing a postdoctoral program in Canada, has been repeatedly denied an F-2 visa, which applies to dependents and spouses of F-1 visa holders. —

Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026 Incredibly, that deal blitz also applies to actual cars. —

Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026 That same logic now applies to your scalp. —

Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026 Massachusetts, for instance, passed a law in 2023 that applies a 4% tax to people earning over $1 million, while California voters may get a chance to consider a billionaire tax later this year. —

Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for applies

Verb

Considered narrowly, statesmanship relates primarily to politics and government.

— John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
There’s a lovely little formula called the small-angle approximation that relates the two.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2026