align

verb

\ ə-ˈlīn

variants: or less commonly aline

aligned also alined; aligning also alining; aligns also alines

Definition of align

transitive verb

1 : to bring into line or alignment aligned the books on the shelf

2 : to array on the side of or against a party or cause He aligned himself with the protesters.

intransitive verb

1 : to get or fall into line He aligned with his friends against a common enemy.

2 : to be in or come into precise adjustment or correct relative position Negative ends of molecules align with positive ends of other molecules.

Other Words from align More Example Sentences Learn More about align

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Examples of align in a Sentence

He aligned the two holes so he could put the screw through them. The two parts of the machine are not properly aligned. The text aligns with the bottom of the picture. The schools had to align their programs with state requirements. She is aligning with other senators to oppose his nomination.

Recent Examples on the Web

As an Asian-American immigrant, my views were aligned with liberal ideals, and in that diverse arts school, filled with immigrants, feminists, and members of the LGBTQ community, I was surrounded by people with political voices similar to mine. — Yoonie Yang, Teen Vogue, "What Happens When You Lose Your Political Voice in a New Environment," 8 Jan. 2019 While the three presidents weren’t exactly enthusiastic transit supporters, political forces aligned in ways that gave them more reason to back buses and rail. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Public transit’s missed opportunity," 20 Nov. 2018 The note is also unlikely to fully appease some employees, who have questioned whether Microsoft should be aligned with ICE in any capacity. — Colin Lecher, The Verge, "Microsoft says it doesn’t work on ICE facial recognition and calls for regulation," 13 July 2018 The win locked Rhodes into the playoffs, but meant much more than aligning him with a shot at the season championship. — Fletcher Page, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville native Ben Rhodes takes NASCAR victory at Kentucky Speedway," 12 July 2018 GEO Group also gave $275,000 to the Trump aligned super-PAC, Rebuilding America Now, in 2016 and another $170,000 to Trump Victory, which supported his campaign and Republican party committees. — Fortune, "Prison Operators Could Cash In on ‘Zero Tolerance’ Immigration Policy," 28 June 2018 Business ownership aligns in the whiteness-assumption checklist; not so for blackness. — New York Times, "Readers Respond to the 6.17.18 Issue," 28 June 2018 But the two dominant parties of the era, the Labour and Conservative parties, were nowhere near as interested in aligning themselves with the gay rights movement. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The True Story of “A Very English Scandal” and the Trials of a Closeted Gay Politician," 27 June 2018 Both the surface and the upper level lows will slowly push into eastern Texas by Tuesday, aligning in such a way as to send wave after wave of heavy rain toward the Houston/Galveston area. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, "From Houston to Corpus Christi, torrential rain may fall at times for days," 18 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'align.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.