exact 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of exactnext
1
as in correct
being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard maybe I wasn't being very exact when I said I had done it a million times—but it sure seemed like it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in precise
being neither more nor less than a certain amount, number, or extent the exact number of passengers on that airplane was 147

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accurate
following an original exactly an exact replica of an aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy the company stresses that its optical telescopes are exact instruments and should not be handled as toys

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in mathematical
meeting the highest standard of accuracy in order for the blind to fit properly, we must have the exact measurements of the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exact

2 of 2

verb

ig-ˈzakt How to pronounce exact (audio)
1
as in to demand
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impose
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to extort
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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word exact different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of exact are accurate, correct, nice, precise, and right. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

In what contexts can accurate take the place of exact?

The synonyms accurate and exact are sometimes interchangeable, but accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

When could correct be used to replace exact?

In some situations, the words correct and exact are roughly equivalent. However, correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When would nice be a good substitute for exact?

The words nice and exact can be used in similar contexts, but nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How do precise and exact relate to one another?

Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

How are the words right and correct related as synonyms of exact?

Right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault.

the right thing to do

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 exact
Adjective
For every transaction, the platform passed the customer’s exact location, tax codes and specific pricing details to Avalara, which returned the correct tax treatment for the invoice. — Kashif Saleem, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Clark Street culinary director Jesse Furman says the trick is finding the exact balance of traditional and new for a historic restaurant. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
But, in a breakthrough performance, Hoon Lee never lets the viewer forget the heavy toll exacted by his character’s spiritual homelessness. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026 For Wilner-Deering, sharing the testimony matters partly because repeatedly recounting trauma can exact a heavy toll. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exact
  1. correct
  2. precise
  3. accurate
  4. subtle
  5. mathematical
  6. demand
  7. impose
  8. extort
Adjective
  • Issagholyan built out a 24-session plan to course-correct, involving twice weekly visits in which I would be chiropractically adjusted, my jaw cold-lasered to promote cellular regeneration and my back muscles stimulated by electrodes.
    — Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Google is correct that Personal Intelligence is opt-in, but the company uses various prompts and pop-ups to entice users to turn it on without fully explaining the consequences.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of correct
Adjective
  • The reference point is 1930s Milan, where bold material combinations and precise geometry turned these utilitarian spaces into showpieces.
    — Kristen Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026
  • And the need to blend all the sound together right before the ear canal can make the more complex instrumentation sound more sloppy than precise.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of precise
Adjective
  • The forecast is accurate for a day or two but rarely predictive over weeks or months.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The important point is that a label doesn't have to be accurate to influence how a company views you.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of accurate
Adjective
  • The rash can be more subtle on darker skin tones, but a bumpy or textured feel is often present.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The last major change was the iPhone X, which dropped the home button almost a decade ago, and even that was a fairly subtle improvement.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • France’s political crisis is colliding with a mathematical one.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026
  • These states emerge from the topology, or mathematical structure, of a material’s electronic properties.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of mathematical
Verb
  • These tests will measure how effectively the hardware handles demanding workloads, although HPE has not disclosed specific processing speeds or expected benchmark results.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Many Worlds demands that our universe actually be a multiverse.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of demand
Verb
  • Voters in six states will soon decide whether to impose or expand voter identification requirements, including rules requiring mail voters to provide part of a driver’s license or Social Security number.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Russia imposed temporary export controls on helium in April to protect its domestic supply.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of impose
Verb
  • Among the new rackets were providing cheap workers to new industries, ruling the docks of large port cities, extorting money from trading companies, and working for political parties to intimidate rival voters.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Hill alleged school board members tried to extort her into resigning in a memo sent to the board ahead of her firing.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of extort

Browse Nearby Words

exacerbating
exact
exacted
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Cite this Entry

“Exact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exact. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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