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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the new recruits had to adjust themselves to the exacting discipline of military life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
writing will always be an exacting task
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 exacting
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
These methods, while less exacting, are also woefully undemocratic, allowing lawmakers to act independently from and against the interests of the American public.
—Big Think, 10 Oct. 2025
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
There, Gordon Davison and Peter Lockey founded a small shop in 1966 to create exacting outdoor gear, testing it on northeast England’s rainswept fells and higher peaks abroad.
—Jeff Moag, Outside, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacting
Adjective
Comparable in size to the Arc de Triomphe, the Porte Monumentale also contained surface ornamentation based on Haeckel’s exacting lifelong documentation of organisms to be found in the world’s oceans.
—Verb
In reality, major enterprises in the early nineteenth century kept exacting records on input prices, waste rates, and output rates.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacting
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
-
These soft and chewy treats are the result of dozens of careful recipe tests.—
Adjective
-
Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.—
-
The Encinitas Green Business Network provides a rigorous framework for local organizations to reduce their environmental footprint through actionable, practical, and high-impact improvements.—
Adjective
-
Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?—
-
In his first start in the wake of Beau Pribula’s significant injury, Zollers walked into a difficult situation, and his stat line reflected it.—
Adjective
-
But last month, Critchfield backed off in the face of a challenging state budget.—
-
Depending on where in the country your family lives, winter can be a challenging time for kids who are cooped up inside amid the chillier weather.—
Verb
-
Cashier Sandra Cornejo said the suspect ordered Oreo ice cream before pulling out a knife and demanding money.—
-
Built for demanding factory environments Atlas is a fully electric humanoid robot with 56 degrees of freedom, meaning 56 independently controllable joints that allow fluid, human-like motion.—
Verb
-
Iranian authorities have responded by deploying numerous security forces, imposing internet blackouts and enforcing curfews in some areas in an effort to suppress the unrest.—
-
Originally constructed to be a shopping mall, the imposing structure now serves as the headquarters of Venezuela’s intelligence services and a notorious prison.—
Verb
-
The Barrio 18 and MS-13 gangs are rivals, battling for territorial control in Guatemala by extorting shopkeepers, transport workers and civilians.—
-
The couple allegedly asked customers’ family members to send original passports to them and then frequently refused to return the passports unless customers paid hundreds of dollars more, effectively extorting them, Ellison’s office said.—
Adjective
-
Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp wanted an appropriate goodbye with one Hawkins resident in particular as the sci-fi series concluded last month.—
-
Your fourth tip centers on diet quality, in particular cutting out ultraprocessed foods.—
Cite this Entry
“Exacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacting. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share