applies

verb

present tense third-person singular of apply
1
as in relates
to have a relation or connection does your rule about calling home apply to me as well?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spreads
to put a layer of on a surface apply the ointment liberally

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in uses
to put into action or service apply the laws of motion to this physics problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in exerts
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in enforces
to carry out effectively a police officer applying the law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Haynie may have been responding to reports specific to Syracuse, but his response applies to all colleges. — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 Accountability applies to everyone, including those who wear our badge. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 The tax break, which applies to itemizers, includes property taxes plus either state and local income or sales taxes, but not both. — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 The recall applies to 28-ounce bottles of Gatorade Lemon Lime, Gatorade Lemon Lime Zero, Gatorade Orange and Gatorade Orange Zero. — Eva Flowe october 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Kalshi’s suggested 5% quarterly cap would become an industry-wide rule that applies to both single-event bets and parlays executed through an RFQ system outside the central order book. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Because the halting problem is generally undecidable, however, this also applies to the solvability of a Super Mario level. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026 The same distinction applies to the latest Justice Department cases. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 These histories can be claimed for any site-specific artwork located in an outdoor setting, though their relevance applies differently from one example to another. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for applies
  1. relates
  2. devotes
  3. spreads
  4. uses
  5. exerts
  6. enforces
  7. pertains
  8. gives
Verb
  • Most of the funding gap relates specifically to weapons purchases, Zelensky said, and future financing for Ukraine could come in the form of deals for sharing technology and joint drone production.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And then Mowbray relates some personal evidence of what has not changed — Middlesbrough’s attachment to football.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of relates
Verb
  • As a historian of the European theatre, Hitchcock devotes only a single chapter to Japan’s imperial expansion in Asia during the thirties.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Amenities and experiences Harmon Guest House smartly devotes most of its real estate to guest rooms, allowing for maximum comfort in a busy area.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of devotes
Verb
  • And when the healthcare system is flawed to its core and disinformation about alternative treatments spreads rapidly online?
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Omnivore’s reissue of the first of these, for its 30th anniversary, spreads the original album across three sides with a new remix from Falkner himself, then adds four bonus tracks (a studio outtake song and three four-track demos) for Side 4.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of spreads
Verb
  • The hotel uses a keyless entry system with self-check-in and virtual guest service.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The theme uses a colloquial phrase almost like a mathematical function.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of uses
Verb
  • This serves as the White House's central argument against the latest rate hike, while underscoring that Federal Reserve policy exerts asymmetric impacts across different global economies under current conditions.
    — , CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Even for a famous masterpiece, the Bayeux Tapestry exerts an unusually powerful hold over the professionals who work with it.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of exerts
Verb
  • Israel enforces some of the strictest aviation security protocols in the world, after facing a history of hijackings and terminal attacks.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Wilson Rivera Espinosa was a safety specialist in CMPD’s passenger vehicle for hire unit, which administers and enforces city regulations involving the licensing, inspection and operation of passenger vehicles for hire in Charlotte.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of enforces
Verb
  • And now, the newest update about Hilton’s situation pertains to his finances.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The same philosophy pertains to decor items that may look cute but do not serve a clear function, Ruiz adds.
    — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of pertains
Verb
  • That range gives a launcher positioned on Yonaguni the ability to threaten ships operating across a substantial area around the island and toward Taiwan.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone here almost too respectfully gives one another their turn to speak, the conversation rarely fomenting into argument or overlapping chatter.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of gives

Browse Nearby Words

appliers
applies
applies (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Applies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/applies. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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