1
as in unfathomable
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2
as in deep-sea
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Recent Examples of abyssal
To delve to the (geological) heart of the matter, scientists want to know the moon’s deepest secret—what’s happening at its most abyssal depths.
—
Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026
Advertisement The cliché of the grandmaster whose mind has been tied in knots contemplating the abyssal depths of a chess game is largely a fantasy; despite a few high-profile cases, no statistical link has been established between skill in chess and madness.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The heart of noir tends to be nihilism, its abyssal mood a veil that invites you to glimpse the darker machinery of a world ruled by insurmountable powers where resistance leads only to ruin.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
For its part, TMC intends to have large vessels out at sea deploying collector vehicles down to abyssal depths of 2.5-3.75 miles (4-6 km) in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean.
—New Atlas, 5 Apr. 2025
Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise hundreds or thousands of feet from the seafloor and can provide a vital habitat for marine life, while abyssal hills are smaller, underwater mounds.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Three years of computer modeling found the Antarctic overturning circulation – also known as abyssal ocean overturning – is on track to slow 42% by 2050 if the world continues to burn fossil fuels and produce high levels of planet-heating pollution.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
As an open-source project, C:DDA has its inner workings posted freely online, where anyone with a working knowledge of C++ can dive in and add weapons, recipes, and more information into the simulation's already abyssal depths.
—Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, 17 Dec. 2018
Even here, though, abyssal tuba notes exposed a sonic substratum.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2017
Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026
Advertisement The cliché of the grandmaster whose mind has been tied in knots contemplating the abyssal depths of a chess game is largely a fantasy; despite a few high-profile cases, no statistical link has been established between skill in chess and madness.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The heart of noir tends to be nihilism, its abyssal mood a veil that invites you to glimpse the darker machinery of a world ruled by insurmountable powers where resistance leads only to ruin.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
For its part, TMC intends to have large vessels out at sea deploying collector vehicles down to abyssal depths of 2.5-3.75 miles (4-6 km) in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean.
—New Atlas, 5 Apr. 2025
Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise hundreds or thousands of feet from the seafloor and can provide a vital habitat for marine life, while abyssal hills are smaller, underwater mounds.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Three years of computer modeling found the Antarctic overturning circulation – also known as abyssal ocean overturning – is on track to slow 42% by 2050 if the world continues to burn fossil fuels and produce high levels of planet-heating pollution.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
As an open-source project, C:DDA has its inner workings posted freely online, where anyone with a working knowledge of C++ can dive in and add weapons, recipes, and more information into the simulation's already abyssal depths.
—Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, 17 Dec. 2018
Even here, though, abyssal tuba notes exposed a sonic substratum.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abyssal
Adjective
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The Balcony is textbook Manet—grand in ambition, ingeniously composed, visually charismatic, and socially unfathomable.—
Susan Tallman,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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This release coincides with the tenth anniversary of the death of His Purple Highness, the singer, songwriter, producer, philanthropist, musician and multi-instrumentalist with an unfathomable life and work.—
Darío Gael Blanco,
Vanity Fair,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Earlier this week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that the deep-sea find belonged to a giant deep-sea anemone, Relicanthus daphneae, and was part of the base that helped the underwater creature attach to rocks.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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Whole-genome sequencing revealed the orb shared lots of genetic material with deep-sea anemones.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Instead of calculating an infinite number of paths, the researchers suggested calculating ‘least action’ classical paths that could produce the same result.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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In other words, the ECJ has carved out a comfortable, but not infinite, legal space for sampling and other creative interpolations in such contexts.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Brazil, the region’s largest oil and gas producer, is now a global leader in deepwater and ultra-deepwater production and aims to rank among the world’s top five crude producers by 2030, driven by prolific fields such as Búzios.—
Juan Pablo Spinetto,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Other Notable Discoveries White himself identified four new species — a new skate, ray, deepwater catshark and chimaera — also known as a ghost shark.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Guests went diving under tables as the scene unfolded and some reported hearing shots outside the vast subterranean ballroom in the Washington Hilton where the event was being held.—
Collin Binkley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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The couple flew south from Tijuana on Thursday morning and spent two days touring the vast city.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Recognizable by their strong pharyngeal teeth used to crush mollusc shells, black carps can significantly impact local ecosystems by feeding on mussels and snails, and competing with other native benthic fishes like smallmouth buffalo.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
18 Mar. 2026
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The long-term effects of nodule mining on deep-sea biodiversity are unknown—like so much of the deep ocean and its fertile benthic ecosystems, whose mysteries scientists are only beginning to unravel.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sargassum includes pelagic species of brown seaweed that have their origin offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and float on its surface, according to the FWC.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2026
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The same goes for the San Diego-Scripps conservation area, except for the recreational taking of coastal pelagic species (northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel and jack mackerel) by hook and line only.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This photograph aims to highlight the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, showcasing the beauty of the king penguins in their natural habitat, while also underscoring the importance of preserving these unique underwater forests.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2026
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The California marine heat wave is already having an impact on the Pacific Ocean’s food web.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abyssal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abyssal. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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