adapting

verb

present participle of adapt
as in adjusting
to change (something) so as to make it suitable for a new use or situation it always takes freshmen a little while to adapt themselves to high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 adapting After their decades observing goatsbeard adapting to polyploidy in the lab, the Soltises can even predict which genes are most likely to get the boot and which are more likely to stick around. — Carrie Arnold contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026 Teams can spend less time rebuilding general-purpose capabilities and more time adapting models to specific vehicles, geographies, safety cases and applications. — John Gabriel, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Food and drink This is one aspect of The Oberoi Mumbai that has undergone a complete overhaul over the years, adapting standard five-star dining menus to a more focused and exciting culinary program. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026 Dunham is adapting the script with Jessica Huang, while Jepsen is writing the music and lyrics with Ethan Gruska. — Jessica Barrett, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026 That shift, from manufacturing static objects to manufacturing objects capable of adapting, could ultimately make 4D printing one of the more interesting directions in the evolution of additive manufacturing. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Murray-Smith is adapting her own script for the screen version. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026 Literacy is about adapting to this constant flux between the physical and digital world. — Jennifer D. Kobrin, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026 Mann Theatres co-owner Michelle Mann said the company wanted to continue adapting to what moviegoers are looking for. — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adapting
  1. adjusting
  2. tailoring
  3. conforming
  4. putting
  5. suiting
Verb
  • In that conventional view, the International Style (a term MoMA introduced in 1932) proliferated as an instrument of the Cold War, adjusting to local preferences but always faithful to its Franco-German origins.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Neiman’s team dated the snail’s genome duplication to less than a million years ago — incredibly recent in evolutionary terms, but long enough ago for the species to have begun the longer process of adjusting to its heavier genomic load.
    — Carrie Arnold Contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of adjusting
Verb
  • Built in the mid-18th century as the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, 1 Savile Row later housed a diamond merchant and then the Royal Geographical Society before becoming a tailoring house in 1912.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Beyond these general recommendations, though, tailoring meal timing to your specific internal rhythms can be more complicated.
    — Maggie Donahue, HEALTH, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of tailoring
Verb
  • Joby has flown its first FAA-conforming aircraft and entered the final stage of type certification.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Tempur-Pedic’s proprietary material is a body-conforming foam the brand uses for their popular mattresses, toppers, and pillows.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of conforming
Verb
  • Mars challenges restrictive Saturn, putting your desire to take a chance against someone else’s need for reassurance.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The CameraJet came out on top on every metric—but the comparison seems a bit like putting a mortar and pestle up against a VitaMix.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of putting
Verb
  • Operational databases—often NoSQL systems—excel at reacting to change instantly and fetching individual records with almost no delay, suiting situations where the business must act on new data in near real time.
    — Kevin Mathrani, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Nicole Kidman is serving up the aesthetic blueprint for the ultimate European summer, from embracing power suiting in Wimbledon’s Royal Box to showing off her natural blonde curls while jet-setting out of Ibiza.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 18 July 2026
Definition of suiting

Browse Nearby Words

adapters
adapting
adaption
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Adapting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adapting. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All