Definition of directionnext
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as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a life that seemed to lack any direction other than the mindless pursuit of empty pleasures

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in trend
a prevailing or general movement or inclination some older people worry about the overall direction that political discourse has taken lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 direction Weekly, users should spend 15 minutes reflecting on what worked to refine their strategy and ensure consistent direction. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 About 40 feet in the opposite direction stood a trailer where her sister, Penny Singleton, stayed. Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026 My friend Laura steered us in the direction of Marzetti’s Simply Lemon Vinaigrette. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 10 May 2026 Not just colleges, but High schools and youth clubs in all directions. Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for direction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for direction
Noun
  • The secret to the best control is to make the insecticide applications, following label instructions, before flower buds begin to open.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
  • The instructions are crystal clear as to exactly where the centerline must be.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • After a 23-43 season in his first season, Jackson leads the Warriors to back-to-back playoff appearances with 47 and 51 wins but was fired amid a backdrop of friction with management (including team advisor Jerry West) and fostering a poor work environment.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
  • Educators are overhauling their classroom management approach to cut down on the chaos.
    Stacker, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • Its only compass is artistic excellence.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 May 2026
  • As for steering a buggy to the Artemis base, compasses don’t work on the moon, and dust will adhere to optics, so NASA has pioneered plans to use Earth’s Galileo and GPS satellites to navigate.
    Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • In fossil fuel extraction zones — the Permian Basin in Texas, the Bakken fields of North Dakota, oil regions across the Middle East — lights flicker violently in sync with drilling booms and busts, bearing little relation to broader economic trends.
    Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
  • Around four years ago, Kevin Bowles and the Minnesota Wild food and beverage team noticed a trend of beer bats at baseball games.
    Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • An additional move will need to be made in order to get Snell on the roster on Saturday.
    Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
  • State officials have asked federal courts to set aside that order in light of its ruling in the Louisiana redistricting case.
    David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • Arenas has been outspoken in her efforts to reform child welfare following high-profile deaths of children under county supervision, including the fentanyl overdose of infant Phoenix Castro and, most recently, the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez.
    Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
  • Kids could play all day and much of the night, anywhere, without a lot of — or any — adult supervision.
    Andre Mouchard, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • The tides had shifted, nearly stranding us.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
  • Rising sea levels, king tides and failing infrastructure are already impacting Mission Beach and other neighborhoods.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Vancouver’s mayor issued a stern edict to keep the Whitecaps in town.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
  • My worry is edicts from Hartford.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Direction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direction. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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