as in sticky
tending to adhere to objects upon contact
walked barefoot through adhesive, clayey mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glue
a substance used to stick things together
prefers postage stamps coated with adhesive so that she doesn't have to do any licking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adhesive
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
To make gilded pumpkins, cover them in gold spray paint or use adhesive and gold leaf, then place them throughout your fall porch display.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
Plus, the eyelash adhesive is fast-drying, waterproof, and sleep-safe.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adhesive
Adjective
De Sanctis was armed with Q-tips, glue, isopropyl alcohol, lemon oil, and eucalyptus oil (handy for removing any adhesive residue from the surface of a film); a separate room, devoted to slowing or reversing chemical deterioration, gave me an odd sense of having wandered into a witch’s kitchen.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
To make gilded pumpkins, cover them in gold spray paint or use adhesive and gold leaf, then place them throughout your fall porch display.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Ethylene oxide, which is used to make products such as antifreeze, textiles, adhesives, plastics and detergents.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
Plus, the eyelash adhesive is fast-drying, waterproof, and sleep-safe.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adhesive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adhesive
Adjective
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Blot wet spills instead of rubbing, and vacuum crumbs and dirt, which can be abrasive and weaken fibers, become ground into the carpet, and cause a sticky residue if left for too long.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The bee mushroom, which is hairy and striped like a bee, turns Mario into bee Mario, who can fly and climb on sticky honey walls.—
Matt Kasson,
Popular Science,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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About 10 dead and dying Turkestan cockroaches were found in multiple glue traps throughout the facility.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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In the time that the company first started using bonding in the early 2000s, there have been a lot of advancements in glue technology such as ones that are primarily used in the handbag market or the automotive one to bond two layers of fabric together.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This particular kit is well-stocked, featuring classic first aid essentials like non-adherent pads, gauze, triple antibiotic ointment and BZK antiseptic wipes.—
Jessie Quinn,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
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Here, then, are each of Guest’s features, ranked from least to most adherent to the laws of Guestiness.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adhesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adhesive. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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