as in accumulative
produced by a series of additions of identical or similar things
a cumulative weight gain of 20 pounds over the course of a year
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Recent Examples of cumulative
The adjusted baseline shows cumulative deficits are forecast to reach $22.7 trillion, amounting to 6.1% of GDP, with annual deficits climbing from $1.7 trillion in 2025 to $2.6 trillion in 2035.
—
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025
Everything about Wyle’s performance feels cumulative, in the affection viewers bring for the ER star and the weight of an impossibly hard day’s work on his character.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2025
Exposure to loud sound − which can be sudden, prolonged or cumulative − is the leading cause of tinnitus, according to the American Tinnitus Association.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Over two decades of cumulative experimentation, U.S. authorities expanded their ambitions and reach.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cumulative
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025
Everything about Wyle’s performance feels cumulative, in the affection viewers bring for the ER star and the weight of an impossibly hard day’s work on his character.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2025
Exposure to loud sound − which can be sudden, prolonged or cumulative − is the leading cause of tinnitus, according to the American Tinnitus Association.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Over two decades of cumulative experimentation, U.S. authorities expanded their ambitions and reach.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cumulative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumulative
Adjective
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The accumulative effects of a whole comprised of many different foods with artificial dyes, consumed over a lifetime, is even harder to assess.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2025
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The heat is accumulative but not terribly aggressive in spice, and the bits of water chestnut offer freshness and crunch.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The six-team winter league, played across 10 weeks between January and March, has long stated that it was designed to be additive to the WNBA.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
19 July 2025
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Inflammation Some brands of almond milk contain a food additive called carrageenan.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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So, even small incremental improvements in employee retention can have a dramatic impact.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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After years of progress (however incremental), 2025 is the year many companies quietly reversed course.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For months, John was confined to his bed and was off work for six months, before making a gradual return to teaching in September 2022.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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The floodwaters, which broke through a dam of glacial ice, are an example of how gradual shifts to the climate are sometimes punctuated by sudden drama that can rapidly reshape a landscape.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cumulative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumulative. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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