To adapt means to change yourself or your approach to fit new conditions or situations. When you move to a new school, you adapt by learning new routines, making new friends, and figuring out where everything is. When animals adapt to their environment, they develop traits that help them survive: polar bears have thick fur for Arctic cold, while desert foxes have large ears that release heat.

Adapting often involves creativity and resourcefulness. If you forget your lunch, you might adapt by trading snacks with friends or making do with what's available. Scientists who study life on Earth have discovered that the ability to adapt helps separate species that thrive from those that disappear. Many dinosaurs couldn't adapt quickly enough when Earth's environment changed dramatically, but some small animals could, and over a very long time they evolved into many different species.

The word can also describe modifying something for a new use. When filmmakers adapt a book into a movie, they change the story to work better on screen. You might adapt a recipe by substituting ingredients you have at home. People who adapt well tend to see change not as a problem but as a puzzle to solve.