align

verb

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\ 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 The local emergency declaration was extended and the proclamation was amended to align with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's most-recent executive order, Romero said on Twitter. — Richard Morin, azcentral, "Tucson Mayor Regina Romero extends emergency declaration, keeping city buildings closed through June 8," 16 May 2020 The oncologist, a former health care consultant, took the job on April 17 under pressure to align the ministry’s actions with the president’s view that the economy must not be destroyed by restrictions to control spread of the virus. — BostonGlobe.com, "Brazil’s health minister resigns post," 15 May 2020 Essentially, the idea is to align three things: approval, cost and best plan to keep Ladd viable. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "Ladd-Peebles Stadium proposal includes name change, entertainment venue, walking trail," 14 May 2020 Bend your front knee to align above your ankle, keeping your back leg straight. — Dana Santas, CNN, "5 exercises to offset too much sitting," 12 May 2020 But what is known about what is now believed to be the first case of community transmission in California — and the country — doesn’t appear to align with Newsom’s comments. — Matthias Gafni, SFChronicle.com, "Newsom says California’s first community spread case was through a nail salon. That seems questionable," 10 May 2020 So the crew executed a sharp turn to align with the mooring mast. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "83 Years Later, Many Questions Remain About the Hindenburg Disaster," 6 May 2020 The pits also appear to align with a point on the horizon corresponding to the midwinter sunrise. — Quanta Magazine, "Arrows of Time," 5 May 2020 Technical challenges aside, members of Congress still have yet to align around the Artemis plan. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "NASA turns to the private sector to make a lunar landing," 2 May 2020

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.