as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
many students lacked even a basal familiarity with the topic
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 basal
Prune these back almost to the ground as basal growth appears.
—
Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
What surprised the researchers was that whenever a bird practiced, dopamine levels in the basal ganglia increased.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
Connections made via apical synapses seemed to be strengthened by movement information more than those made via basal synapses.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
At that point, rather than consulting someone who obsesses over how caffeine focuses us by blocking adenosine receptors in the basal forebrain, philosophers should hold sway.
—Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for basal
Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
What surprised the researchers was that whenever a bird practiced, dopamine levels in the basal ganglia increased.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
Connections made via apical synapses seemed to be strengthened by movement information more than those made via basal synapses.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
At that point, rather than consulting someone who obsesses over how caffeine focuses us by blocking adenosine receptors in the basal forebrain, philosophers should hold sway.
—Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for basal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basal
Adjective
-
The petals of flowers will change depending on how basic or acidic the soil is.—
Dr. Nick Goltz,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
-
Sophisticated mathematical models coexist with surprisingly basic tools.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
In Uvalde, 19 elementary students and two teachers were killed.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
8 July 2025
-
There are elementary and middle school programs, too.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
From behind the fence, at the white hut, a rudimentary but powerful loudhailer and speaker system is set up, from which a commentator fills every second of dead air with excitable exhortations to Allah combined with knowledgeable play-by-play analysis in machine-gun fast Arabic.—
Camilla Wright,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
What began as rudimentary chatbots programmed to respond to queries based on keywords eventually evolved into GenAI.—
Vivek Ahuja,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
The apparent deletion was noticed on social media the same day that comments from Krauskopf's introductory press conference resurfaced.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
-
Head coach of Mike Brown of the New York Knicks speaks to media during his introductory press conference at Knicks Training Facility on July 08, 2025 in Tarrytown, New York.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
His fastball run value ranks in the 90th percentile, and his underlying numbers align closely with his actual results.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
The underlying rationale behind the shift is the argument that centralized federal systems create moral hazards, stifle local innovation, and make states overly reliant on Washington.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Character is fundamental to leadership; without it, leadership is a position without moral conviction.—
John Baldoni,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
How stress and screen time change your breath Breathing is one of the body’s most fundamental movement patterns — occurring on average more than 23,000 times a day — and the diaphragm’s contractions play a key role.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Basal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basal. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share