as in grown-up
a fully grown person
at the beach, the adults sat under broad umbrellas while the children splashed in the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in pornographic
dealing in or with explicitly sexual material
an adult magazine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in matured
fully grown or developed
insects that are butterflies in their adult stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adult
Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2025
Since releasing the first installment created entirely through CGI, the animation studio — acquired by Disney in 2006, per The New York Times — has been delivering top-quality movies that appeal to children and adults of all ages.
—Sydni Ellis, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2023
There wasn’t much room for making mistakes in this version of adulting—which is, of course, the only way to become truly adult.
—Claire Cohen, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for adult
Noun
Hedley noticed a recurring dent behind the driver’s seat in the originals—a telltale sign that adults had tried to climb in, leaving a permanent impression.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2025
Since releasing the first installment created entirely through CGI, the animation studio — acquired by Disney in 2006, per The New York Times — has been delivering top-quality movies that appeal to children and adults of all ages.
—Sydni Ellis, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The first whale found this month, a sub-adult male gray whale, was recovered Jan. 11 in Winchester Bay and was slain by killer whales, according to Milstein.
—oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2023
There wasn’t much room for making mistakes in this version of adulting—which is, of course, the only way to become truly adult.
—Claire Cohen, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for adult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adult
Noun
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Reportedly shot for less than $100,000, this tale of Pooh and Piglet all grown-up and running amok recently opened to box office success in Mexico and is currently playing on cinema screens around America.—
Clark Collis,
EW.com,
16 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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After mature plants have bloomed, use clean, sharp pruners to cut the plant down by one-third, cutting into green growth only and not into the woody stems, which won’t regenerate new growth.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
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Thanks to quantum cloud platforms like IBM Q, Amazon Braket and Xanadu, researchers can access quantum processors today, running simulations even before fully mature quantum hardware becomes standard.—
Somnath Banerjee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Being the mother of seven was useful, however, when the court debated in January whether there were workable alternatives to age verification requirements for pornographic websites.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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As of state legislation passed in 2024, creating or distributing non-consensual pornographic deepfakes is a misdemeanor offense in Indiana.—
Jen Guadarrama,
IndyStar,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Japan and South Korea continue long-running work on humanoids for service and elder-care roles, while established industrial robot makers have explored human-assist systems for years.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
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First, many local elder services access points train and maintain a group of volunteer visitors for isolated elders in their community.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The back of the knee is a surprisingly erotic spot, sensitive to light touch and teasing.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Sep. 2025
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To make peace, Replika reinstated the right to practice erotic role play, but only for legacy users who’d signed up before February, 2023.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As The Athletic discovered on a recent stroll along the waterfront from the city centre, there’s certainly plenty of land ripe for development.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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The moment is ripe for Maduro's fall, and meaningful retaliation is unlikely.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adult. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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