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

But Mattis’ view on bringing in additional transgender people as recruits was more closely aligned with the president’s. — Dan Lamothe, The Seattle Times, "Supreme Court lets Trump’s restrictions on transgender troops take effect," 22 Jan. 2019 But the California Democrat has long been ideologically more aligned with the party’s liberal base, so progressives are natural allies for her. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "House progressives are getting ready to fight off Nancy Pelosi’s challengers.," 21 Nov. 2018 The probe is now in the process of aligning itself into an elliptical orbit that will enable studies of the solar wind near its source. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "There’s a new record-holder for closest human object to the Sun," 30 Oct. 2018 In recent years, Nike has been battling with Adidas AG and Under Armour Inc. for the attention of young shoppers, who tend to be more aligned with Mr. Kaepernick’s cause. — Khadeeja Safdar, WSJ, "#NikeBoycott Is Over. Why Retail Activism Rarely Changes Sales.," 16 Sep. 2018 Ultimately the interests were only ever aligned so much. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Social media makes us angry and unfocused. Is email the answer?," 6 Sep. 2018 Alliances Swaggy quickly began trying to align himself with several different groups of houseguests. — Demetrio Teniente, Houston Chronicle, "Big Brother power rankings: Day 19," 9 July 2018 Manchin has tried to align himself with the president and has not ruled out backing the president in 2020. — Eliza Collins, USA TODAY, "These six senators could make or break President Trump's Supreme Court nominee," 9 July 2018 Is the president ready to align himself with Moscow and jettison our European allies? — Trudy Rubin, Philly.com, "NATO allies fear Trump will kick them, hug Putin | Trudy Rubin," 6 July 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.