plumb

1 of 4

noun

ˈpləm

Synonyms of plumb next

: a lead weight attached to a line and used to indicate a vertical direction

plumb

2 of 4

adverb

: straight down or up : vertically

chiefly dialectal : to a complete degree : absolutely

'you're plumb crazy', she remarked, with easy candor—

Harper's Weekly

: in a direct manner : exactly

also : without interval of time : immediately

plumb

3 of 4

verb

plumbed; plumbing; plumbs

transitive verb

: to weight with lead

: to measure the depth of with a plumb

: to examine minutely and critically

plumbing the book's complexities

: to adjust or test by a plumb line

: to seal with lead

[back-formation from plumber] : to supply with or install as plumbing

intransitive verb

: to work as a plumber

plumb

4 of 4

adjective

: exactly vertical or true

: thorough, complete

Phrases

out of plumb or off plumb

: out of vertical or true

Choose the Right Synonym for plumb

vertical, perpendicular, plumb mean being at right angles to a base line.

vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

the side of the cliff is almost vertical

perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one.

the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts

plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

make sure that the wall is plumb

Example Sentences

Adverb He set the board plumb. I plumb forgot about the party. Verb The book plumbs the complexities of human relationships. a scientist who spent her life plumbing the minds of criminals The play plumbs the depths of human nature. The plumber is almost finished plumbing the apartment. The new house has been wired and plumbed. All the bathroom fixtures have been plumbed. Adjective The carpenter made sure that the wall was plumb. a horror movie that's plumb trash and further evidence of the deterioration of popular culture See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Monica Barbaro practiced her carpet walk in a two-tone Elie Saab ballgown of deep plumb and delicate blue chiffon with a long full train. —

Leanne Italie, ajc, 13 Mar. 2023 The organization’s dedication to brotherhood and honesty—its symbols of the plumb of rectitude, the compass of moderation, the square of virtue and the level of equality—resonate with the democratic traditions of the United States from its founding to the present. —

Priscilla Montgomery Jensen, WSJ, 1 May 2022 Set the new prehung entry door into the opening from the outside (D), check it for plumb with a 4-ft. level on all sides, then tap shims between the doorframe and rough opening. —

Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 28 Feb. 2021 That doesn’t mean an end to Shipt’s distinctive green - but the introduction of secondary colors such as plumb, yellow and teal. —

William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 6 Feb. 2020 The Gallery of Kings—the line of statues above the three massive doorways—was almost a foot (.3 meters) out of plumb. —

Andrew Tallon, National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019 In the olden days, woodworkers needed a range of measuring tools, plumbs and levels. —

Alexandra Samuel, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2018

Verb

Every weekend into November, Hamel and her husband returned to plumb the river. —

Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023 None of the theories plumbed so far by news outlets seems credible enough to stand on its own. —

Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 May 2023 In fact, for more than a century, filmmakers and TV producers have taken dozens of stabs at plumbing her psyche, from a shimmying Anne Bancroft (1998) to a shabby-chic Gillian Anderson (2011) to a goth-glam Helena Bonham Carter (2012). —

Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 18 Apr. 2023 Both writers aimed to put their finger on the sense of dislocation felt by newcomers to L.A. in the ’30s and ’40s, a subject also plumbed by Chandler. —

Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023 Heightening the emotional realism of horror scenarios is kind of Flanagan’s thing, and this premise could have played to his strengths, if only he hadn’t been too distracted by gimmicky plot elements to refine his story lines and too reverent of his ailing characters to plumb their darkest depths. —

Time, 7 Oct. 2022 Superb songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey team up to plumb the emotional depths of a relationship, while Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson’s power ballad details a relationship on its ragged edge. —

Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 15 May 2023 Now, after months of depositions and dueling motions, the lawyers will face off before a jury, and legal scholars and media lawyers say the arguments are likely to plumb some of the knottier questions of American libel law. —

Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2023 Unlike traditional dishwashers, countertop dishwashers do not need to be plumbed into your home. —

Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2023

Adjective

Beau is a perfect excuse for him to plumb depths that even his previous A-list directors may not have pushed him toward exploring. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2023 Backfill with another six to eight inches of dirt, check that the post is plumb, and tamp down the dirt. —

Ryan D'agostino, Popular Mechanics, 24 Oct. 2020 The striking rounded plumb bow also creates less wind disturbance. —

Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 16 July 2021 The boat makes good use of its plumb bow, an amidships step on the main deck, and those compact IPS engines to offer a proper master stateroom forward as well as a second stateroom aft with standing headroom in its forward section—no easy feat for a boat of this design type. —

Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2023 Pair with tagliatelle Bolognese or a plumb tart. —

Tom Mullen, Forbes, 22 May 2022 By contrast, Cheney's likely replacement in House leadership, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, took the fast track -- morphing into a Trump defender and riding his endorsement, which swayed rank-and-file House Republicans to back her push for a plumb leadership post. —

Stephen Collinson, CNN, 6 May 2021 Keough excels at self-destructive self-confidence; consider this plumb role Amazon's apology for dead-wifing her in The Terminal List. —

Darren Franich, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2023 The 289-footer, known as Pegasus, features a low, linear hull, a plumb bow and a trippy metallic finish that camouflages it with the surrounding environment. —

Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plumb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.