opted; opting; opts
: to make a choice
especially
: to decide in favor of something
… opted for a tax increase … —
Tom Wicker
Tom Wicker After perusing the menu he opted for the prime rib.
1
optical; optician; optics
2
option; optional
Examples of opt in a Sentence
Verb
after that near catastrophe, they opted to reinstate the telephone service
Recent Examples on the Web
CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025
Dress to impress with this vibrant, eye-catching red, or opt for Classic Black to suit every color scheme.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
And that rushing total would’ve been more if not for those final two carries being Young taking a knee — head coach Dave Canales opted to kneel instead of risking injury on the Panthers’ final drive.
—Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
For people who have uncontrolled blood pressure and heart disease, dentists may opt for a different anesthetic.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Coach Rod Brind'Amour said before the game that Kochetkov has opted for what's likely to be season-ending surgery for a lower-body injury.
—CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025
Dress to impress with this vibrant, eye-catching red, or opt for Classic Black to suit every color scheme.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
And that rushing total would’ve been more if not for those final two carries being Young taking a knee — head coach Dave Canales opted to kneel instead of risking injury on the Panthers’ final drive.
—Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
For people who have uncontrolled blood pressure and heart disease, dentists may opt for a different anesthetic.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opt
Cite this Entry
“Opt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opt. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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