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
Devonne Goode, Parents, 7 Apr. 2026
Kinesiology tape, also called KT tape, is a flexible, adhesive cotton tape frequently seen attached to athletes’ joints, limbs or major muscle areas.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
Etiido Uko
march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
Scammers then reveal and record the card's unique redemption number, officials say, and then conceal the redemption number again with an adhesive to make the card appear that it has not been tampered with.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adhesive
Adjective
Not only are the curtains 50 inches wide and impenetrable, the full kit comes with non-damaging adhesive and magnetic blocks to create a full seal, eliminating light leakage around window edges.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 7 Apr. 2026
Kinesiology tape, also called KT tape, is a flexible, adhesive cotton tape frequently seen attached to athletes’ joints, limbs or major muscle areas.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
Until now, reliable paper seals have required adhesives or plastic layers.
—Etiido Uko
march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
Scammers then reveal and record the card's unique redemption number, officials say, and then conceal the redemption number again with an adhesive to make the card appear that it has not been tampered with.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adhesive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adhesive
Adjective
-
As the smell intensified, Lina crossed to the front door of her apartment, undid the lock, and yanked the sticky door open.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Keep an eye out for popcorn flowers, yarrow, goldfields, mustard and sticky monkey-flowers.—
Alissa Greenberg,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The humane society and foster team will continue to care for Elmer, including giving him regular oil baths to help remove some of the remaining glue.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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When the kitten, later named Elmer, arrived, he was covered in the thick, gloopy glue from ear to tail, leaving him unable to eat, drink, or groom himself.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Europe’s regulatory environment and environmental standards could also pose a disproportionate burden for local farmers adherent to the laws, farmers have said.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Adhesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adhesive. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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