1
as in demanded
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imposed
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 extorted
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
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 exacted
Advertisement The loss of over 1,000 major non-Russian firms exiting the Russian market upon its invasion of Ukraine represented one of the most costly penalties exacted on Putin.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 16 Dec. 2025
And as much as Carol likes to challenge and rebel against Zosia and the Others, that tension is a form of companionship, and its absence has clearly exacted a huge emotional toll on her.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Plus, there are the damaging indiscriminate predatory tariffs that have been exacted on small, fragile nations, such as Lesotho and Laos.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
The Tigers exacted some measure of revenge by eliminating Cleveland in the wild card series — only to once again lose the ALDS in five games — this time in highly heartbreaking fashion, on a walk-off base hit by the Seattle Mariners in the 15th inning.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Add to that the toll AIDs, the crack epidemic, and violent crime had exacted on American cities and the context of the crackdown becomes more clear.
—Andrew Pasquier, Them., 18 Sep. 2025
The Royals exacted their own measure of revenge against their arch nemesis.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
The offensive is expected to displace nearly a million Palestinians and has already exacted a heavy humanitarian toll.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Rantanen exacted revenge against his former team months later, eliminating the Avalanche from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a hat trick in Game 7 of their first-round series.
—Marco Cummings, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacted
Verb
-
What lies ahead For decades, ACIP recommended changes to the childhood schedule only when new evidence or clear shifts in disease risk demanded it.—
-
On Tuesday, Britain’s top technology official demanded that Musk’s social media platform X take urgent action while a Polish lawmaker cited it as a reason to enact digital safety laws.—
Verb
-
Most Gazans who had come of age or graduated from university in 2006 when Israel’s blockade was imposed were in 2023 reaching the second half of their thirties without ever having had a job, despite their impressive educational achievements.—
-
Overall, a third — 550,000 pounds — of the total teak the company imported in the past three years can be traced to Myanmar and entered the United States after the sanctions were imposed, according to the Herald’s analysis of records associated with the consignments’ bills of lading.—
Verb
-
By the following year, the FBI had recovered millions of dollars extorted from Colonial Pipeline by Darkside.—
-
This man just could not stop getting extorted, which is not ideal for anyone but is especially unpleasant for the head of MI5.—
Verb
-
Emulating that has previously required a ton of detective work and a hodgepodge of products, but that changed with the 2025 launch of Stewart’s skin care brand Elm Biosciences and its inaugural A30 Elemental Serum.—
-
He was freed on a $500,000 bond but was required to report to jail every weekend.—
Verb
-
The prosecutor's office said a 16-year-old boy from Sayreville was arrested and charged with acts of juvenile delinquency which if committed by an adult would constitute murder, weapons charges and armed riot.—
-
He was charged with first-degree murder but denied any involvement.—
Verb
-
The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
-
Steamer or Iron When squeezed into a small suitcase, clothes have a tendency to wrinkle.—
Verb
-
These complaints mirror accusations levied against J-1 employers across the country.—
-
Leaders have cited concerns about costs, a one-cent sales tax levied in each of DART’s 13 member cities, the agency’s governance structure and the quality of services in their decisions to call withdrawal elections.—
Cite this Entry
“Exacted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacted. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share