: that slants : sloping
—often used in combination
slope-sided
sloped; sloping
1
: to take an oblique course
2
: to lie or fall in a slant : incline
: to cause to incline or slant
sloper
noun
1
: ground that forms a natural or artificial incline
2
: upward or downward slant or inclination or degree of slant
3
: the part of a continent draining to a particular ocean
Alaska's North Slope
4
a
: the tangent of the angle made by a straight line with the x-axis
b
: the slope of the line tangent to a plane curve at a point
Examples of slope in a Sentence
Verb
His handwriting slopes to the left.
they sloped our new driveway too steeply and now my car scrapes bottom whenever I back out onto the street
Noun
They climbed the steep slope.
What is the angle of the slope?
You can adjust the slope of the ramp.
a slope of 30 degrees
Recent Examples on the Web
Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026
There’s no spa, but the outdoor pool and hot tubs are perfect for easing post-slope muscle soreness, and guests can make use of complimentary Therabody recovery tools.
—Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025
CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
The photographed shark was maintaining a depth of around 1,640 feet along a seabed that sloped into much deeper water.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Adding to the danger were predictions for wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour that would further destabilize the precarious snowpack on high-elevation slopes.
—Annette McGivney, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slope
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Adjective
Arguably, the two best features for powderhounds are the gear storage area, complete with a boot dryer and a waxing and tuning station, and the hot tub because no mountain retreat is complete without a post-slope soak.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026
There’s no spa, but the outdoor pool and hot tubs are perfect for easing post-slope muscle soreness, and guests can make use of complimentary Therabody recovery tools.
—Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025
Verb
The photographed shark was maintaining a depth of around 500 meters (1,640 feet) along a seabed that sloped into much deeper water.
—CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
The photographed shark was maintaining a depth of around 1,640 feet along a seabed that sloped into much deeper water.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
That’s when the group attempted its perilous journey back to civilization, in a blinding blizzard beneath towering, avalanche-prone slopes.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Adding to the danger were predictions for wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour that would further destabilize the precarious snowpack on high-elevation slopes.
—Annette McGivney, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slope
Cite this Entry
“Slope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slope. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slope
2 of 3 verb
sloped; sloping
: to take a slanting direction : give a slant to : incline
sloper
noun
slope
3 of 3 noun1
: ground that forms a natural or artificial incline
2
: upward or downward slant or degree of slant
3
: the ratio of the change in a vertical direction to the change in a horizontal direction between any two points on the graph of a straight line
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