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
Relevance
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
PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
For the two musical interludes, Gaga was at her most exacting and confrontational.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
The regimen was exacting, unrelenting.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Adjective
All told, the specifics of memory and storage drive home that the Mac mini is far more suitable to mainstream users, while the Mac Studio is for a more exacting, professional market that needs those expensive, lofty levels of RAM and storage.
—PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
For the two musical interludes, Gaga was at her most exacting and confrontational.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
Keighley’s exacting work helped grow the company from a niche short film format to a global leader in premium cinema experiences.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
The regimen was exacting, unrelenting.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacting
Adjective
-
Because Arthur and his lookalike neighbor are so physically similar, the poster and her neighbors have to be careful not to mix them up.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
This requires sterile environments and careful selection of the substrate.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For the next six years, Kira endured a rigorous drug treatment regime and was frequently in and out of hospitals.—
Ruchi Kumar,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
-
During a break in the rigorous shooting schedule for the limited series, which also stars Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden, Partridge was able to squeeze in the trip with old college friends.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy, Earle tackled a challenging routine that impressed the judges.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Real-world tests The scientists tested THOR AI on several challenging copper, argon, and tin cases.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, major Hollywood unions and progressive groups are pushing back, accusing ABC and its affiliates of censorship and demanding a boycott of Disney properties.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Since late last year, China has ramped up its restrictions on exports of rare earths, even demanding proof that they will not be used for military purposes.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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China has taken a regulatory lead, imposing strict VOC emission limits inside vehicle cabins.—
Anan Bishara,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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This postcard, which portrays the imposing structure in an unusually upbeat way is a great example of Tetricolor.—
Randy Mason,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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During World War I, between shifts as an emergency ambulance driver in France, Richardson calculated how the local weather would evolve over six hours, starting with the atmospheric conditions provided by weather balloon observations on a particular morning in 1910.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Playing an instrument, in particular, engages every facet of your brain.—
Ayana Underwood,
SELF,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacting. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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