Definition of conformnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb conform contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of conform are accommodate, adapt, adjust, and reconcile. While all these words mean "to bring one thing into correspondence with another," conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle.

refused to conform to society's values

Where would accommodate be a reasonable alternative to conform?

The words accommodate and conform can be used in similar contexts, but accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence.

accommodated his political beliefs in order to win

When could adapt be used to replace conform?

The meanings of adapt and conform largely overlap; however, adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances.

adapted themselves to the warmer climate

When would adjust be a good substitute for conform?

In some situations, the words adjust and conform are roughly equivalent. However, adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism.

adjusted the budget to allow for inflation

When might reconcile be a better fit than conform?

The synonyms reconcile and conform are sometimes interchangeable, but reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible.

tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew

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 conform Those figures conform to those generated this year by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an advisory panel for Congress, which found that the subsidies reduced average Part D premiums by $26 a month last year and $16 this year. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 YouTube will continue consuming an increasing share of television viewing without conforming to Hollywood’s traditional definitions of either a studio or a network. Paul Hardart, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 This material conforms to your body and holds up well over time. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 31 July 2026 Many changes are stylistic, attempting to conform to the language of the regulation to existing language in use in other state statutes. Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for conform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conform
Verb
  • Back in 2015, Parton and her team buried a chestnut box filled with physical copies of a brand new song in two formats, cassette and CD, along with their corresponding players, under her Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa.
    Isabelle Farina, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The cabin sound is enhanced using technology that senses intake pressure and creates a corresponding engine sound routed through the speakers.
    Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The collection of minor hits and near-misses from the 1960s blended rough edges and euphoric hooks.
    Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Randolph, a four-year varsity player, emerged last season as a disruptive force by blending elite size with mobility, quickness and athleticism.
    Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In those earliest works using magazine transfers, Cowin layered disjunctive images, visually uniting realities that can’t easily be reconciled emotionally.
    Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than actual service failures, those logistical wrinkles serve as reminders that beneath the polished five-star veneer sits a functioning medical practice attempting to reconcile luxury hospitality with individualized medicine.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Critics also questioned whether UCLA’s athletic department had adapted quickly enough to the NIL era.
    Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Over the years, Marco Polo has adapted to the neighborhood’s changing demographics by downplaying its old-world Italian extravagance.
    Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The announcement followed Tilbury’s 2022 appointment as the trust’s ambassador for enterprise and coincided with its 50th anniversary gala, held in New York.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That was the year voters passed an amendment to the original term limits, removing a 12-year total limit in order to be able to comply with a new state law mandating that local elections coincide with state regulations.
    Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Organizations need security operations capable of correlating multiple attack vectors, responding at machine speed and continuously learning from attacks occurring far beyond the walls of any single enterprise.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The rise in inmate deaths does correlate with rising incarceration rates.
    TJ Rhodes, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • As serotonin remains active longer, the brain adjusts by desensitizing some receptors.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Teams cross multiple time zones, adjust practice and sleep schedules and play at a neutral site far from their normal routines.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The first of 16 aircraft fitted with the seats is expected to arrive in 2028.
    Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • European security officials officials said an explosive drone found at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany fits a pattern of likely Russian aggression across Europe.
    Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conform. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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