adhesive 1 of 2

as in sticky
tending to adhere to objects upon contact walked barefoot through adhesive, clayey mud

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adhesive

2 of 2

noun

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adhesive
Adjective
Ford is recalling nearly 133,000 SUVs because some parts, including rear door window bars, may disconnect due to not enough adhesive, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 June 2025 The new factory is staffed by a combination of humans and robots; the latter will be tasked with moving robotaxis down the assembly line and precisely applying adhesive to the vehicles' surfaces. New Atlas, 20 June 2025
Noun
Macondo was constructed using an iron framework coated with rice husks and a soap-and-water adhesive over metal mesh. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2025 Getting sun-baked adhesive off of a window is way harder than putting it on. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for adhesive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adhesive
Adjective
  • But just as she’s dragged back into the spotlight, her body begins to stage a quiet, sticky rebellion into a raw, absurd, and disturbingly relatable reckoning with art, womanhood, and the sheer chaos of being human.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 July 2025
  • Mercedes has this just about right, even with optional 22-inch AMG wheels shod with sticky high-performance Pirellis, as my test car was.
    Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • Most things that come into contact with naturally occurring asphalt and tar are immediately painted with this natural glue.
    Ian Rose, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025
  • Max is literally the glue that has held his family together.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
Adjective
  • At my organization, ICL, 75% of clients served by IMT have become stably housed by our teams and 67% are adherent with medication, with an additional 14% agreeing to try medication.
    Jody Rudin, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
  • For example, in the HIV disease area, patients on single tablet regimens are more adherent and persistent than those on multiple tablet treatments.
    Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Adhesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adhesive. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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