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verb

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of correct are accurate, exact, nice, precise, and right. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When could accurate be used to replace correct?

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

an accurate description

When can exact be used instead of correct?

The words exact and correct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

Where would nice be a reasonable alternative to correct?

While in some cases nearly identical to correct, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How do precise and exact relate to one another, in the sense of correct?

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

precise calibration

How are the words right and correct related?

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 correct
Adjective
Some correct for distance vision, some correct both near and distance vision (a multifocal lens), and others (toric lenses) correct astigmatism. Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025 Well, at least the latter half of that statement has proven to be correct. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
The register was corrected late last year, we are told, by Ofcom. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025 Go deeper with Axios Pro Editor's note: This story has been corrected to remove a reference to Sen. Hickenlooper announcing his support for the nominee, Wright. Daniel Moore, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for correct 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for correct
Adjective
  • Still, Republicans have said that even if that call was accurate, the C.I.A. failed in understanding other key events: how quickly the Afghan government could collapse, how Bashar al-Assad would flee Syria and how Hamas was preparing to attack Israel.
    Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
  • While some might have considered the project too niche, Kyle’s intuition about the product’s appeal seems to have been accurate, with even the X Games getting a taste of the product earlier this year.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Reacting to the decision by the Trump administration to close the U.S. visa section of the embassy in Colombia, Petro said there are thousands of Americans living in Colombia without proper documentation.
    Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
  • The show leaves us with the reminder that without proper investment in healthcare infrastructure, even the most skilled medical teams can be hindered in their efforts to save lives.
    Isadora Wandermurem, TIME, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Switzerland and Serbia are willing to host this, but the Kremlin is waiting until after the Republican's inauguration before formal plans can take place.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • However, there has been no formal interview planned.
    Jon Machota, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The president could not revoke the birthright citizenship clause entirely, as amending the Constitution to remove the clause would require votes by at least two-thirds of both chambers of Congress, plus approval by at least three-quarters of the states.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • John Curley, Aurora’s chief development services officer, told The Beacon-News on Wednesday that staff has already worked to create some recommendations for ways to amend current city building codes to bring them up to the 2024 International Code.
    R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • These funds, along with government subsidies, helped offset premiums for millions of Americans, driving the enrollment gains seen in recent years.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Large pharma companies are also bracing for upcoming drug patent expirations that could wipe out $300 billion in revenues by 2028, putting more pressure on them to offset losses with new products.
    Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • By actively hiring individuals with prior convictions, corporations can take a meaningful step toward economic justice, ensuring that those who were once punished for minor drug offenses have a chance to rebuild their lives.
    Summer Westerbur, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025
  • The Rally called to end the emergency, and was swiftly punished; one of the coalition leaders spent eighteen years in solitary confinement.
    Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • And if so, is that a price the WNBA is willing to pay to stay true to its values?
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Even if for the sake of argument that were true, the policy response is not and never can be.
    The Editors, National Review, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • If Trump lost McConnell on Hegseth, there is reason to think other Republican lawmakers might now look around and find good—and shrewd—company in the polite opposition.
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Upon arrival in Key West, the group exchanges polite greetings, but the underlying tension is palpable.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near correct

Cite this Entry

“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/correct. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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