conform more closely

USAGE SUMMARY

"conform more closely" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing alignment or agreement with standards, rules, or expectations. For example: "The new policy will conform more closely to industry regulations." Alternative expressions include "align more closely" and "adhere more closely."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

34 human-written examples

After a few weeks the whole tone of the press would conform more closely to reality.

The New Yorker

Not all that many laws have been changed to conform more closely to Islamic sharia.

The Economist

Its recent Olympic ads conform more closely to the generic feel-good norm.

The Economist

Restorers, acclimated to modernism's high-key palette, unconsciously distorted his art to conform more closely to 20th-century tastes.

The New York Times - Arts

The musical has been edited to conform more closely to the contours of traditional Las Vegas entertainment.

The New York Times

After a few weeks the whole tone of the press would conform more closely to reality, he thinks.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

26 human-written examples

The new calculation also conforms more closely to census estimates.

The New York Times

The notable exceptions -- Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, Burns and Allen -- were essentially doing televised radio programs, an approach that conforms more closely to our current idea of TV as an intimate medium.

The New York Times - Books

There are many clues: spelling conformed more closely in those days to how words sounded; one can deduce more from internal evidence like rhymes and puns and meter; contemporary observers left clues.

The New York Times

Yet the pattern of N.Y.P.D. pedestrian stops conformed more closely to race than crime: even in low-crime, mostly white areas of the city, African-Americans and Latinos formed a disproportionate number of people stopped.

The New Yorker

Her sister, Helen, who is five years older, conformed more closely to the McTeers' self-effacing domestic ideal; she is now a music teacher and the widowed mother of three adult children, to whom McTeer is devoted.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In scientific writing, pair this phrase with statistical models or data sets to indicate how well a specific sample represents a theoretical distribution.

Common error

Do not confuse "conform" with "confirm". While "confirm" means to verify the truth of something, "conform" means to be similar in form or character. Using "confirm more closely" when you mean "to align" is a common lexical error that changes the entire meaning of the sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "conform more closely" acts as a comparative verb phrase where the verb "conform" is modified by the adverbial comparative "more closely". In the examples provided by Ludwig, it typically functions to describe the movement or adjustment of a subject toward a specific benchmark or standard.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "conform more closely" is a highly effective and sophisticated phrase for describing the process of increasing alignment with a standard, rule, or model. Analysis from Ludwig shows that it is a mainstay in formal and academic writing, particularly in the sciences where data is often described as conforming to theoretical models. It is grammatically sound and carries a tone of precision. Whether you are discussing legal reforms in The Economist or scientific data in ScienceDirect, this phrase allows you to communicate subtle improvements in accuracy. To avoid common pitfalls, ensure you use the correct preposition (usually "to") and avoid confusing the verb with its homophone "confirm". By using this phrase, you signal a high level of linguistic competence and a focus on detail.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

align more closely

Suggests a strategic or structural positioning to match a specific direction or goal.

adhere more closely

Emphasizes strict obedience or commitment to a set of rules or guidelines.

correspond more closely

Focuses on the degree of similarity or agreement between two sets of data or ideas.

fit more closely

Often used for physical objects or how well a theory accounts for observed data.

comply more closely

Typically used in legal or regulatory contexts involving mandated standards.

match more closely

Indicates a high degree of identicality or suitability between two things.

follow more closely

A more common, less formal way to describe sticking to a pattern or set of instructions.

approximate more closely

Used when something is becoming nearly but not exactly like the target standard.

resemble more closely

Focuses on appearance or likeness rather than behavioral compliance.

track more closely

Often used in economics or data science to describe one variable following the path of another.

FAQs

How to use "conform more closely" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe improvement in alignment, for example: "The updated model was designed to "conform more closely" to the experimental results observed in the lab."

What is the difference between "conform more closely" and "align more closely"?

While very similar, "align more closely" often suggests a strategic or directional adjustment, whereas "conform more closely" implies meeting a predefined shape, standard, or set of rules.

Should I use "conform to" or "conform with"?

Both are used, but "conform to" is generally more common when referring to standards or rules. You might say a law was changed to "conform more closely to" international standards.

What is a more formal synonym for "follow more closely"?

If you want to sound more professional or academic, "adhere more closely" or "correspond more closely" are excellent formal alternatives.