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
Relevance
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
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
What the poll found The poll, which sampled 3,341 U.S. adults on June 16, found more Americans were in favor of the protests than opposed them.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for adult
Noun
In 2023, the National Endowment for the Arts reported that, over the preceding decade, the proportion of adults who read at least one book a year had fallen from fifty-five per cent to forty-eight per cent.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
What the poll found The poll, which sampled 3,341 U.S. adults on June 16, found more Americans were in favor of the protests than opposed them.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
Adjective
There has not been a sighting of a calf since 2005, though juvenile and sub-adult whales have been seen more recently, Crance said.
—Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for adult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adult
Adjective
-
While Baekhyun’s chocolate-brown hair during the Essence of Reverie promotions lent him a mature air, the tour’s platinum blonde hue underscored his playful spirit, one that shone with every wide-eyed glance and genuine laugh.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
Bomberman: Act Zero (2006) is one of the greatest cautionary tales about how slapping a more mature coat of paint on a classic character can end up tarnishing an entire franchise.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Noun
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These cranes are known for their resilience and strong familial bonds, often migrating in flocks that include young birds guided by their experienced elders.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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Most prominently, after a shocking murder devastates Jackson, the town elders convene a community-wide meeting to debate whether or not to dispatch a team to avenge his death.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead of finding cloak-and-dagger activity at the establishment, or even engaging in any erotic hijinks, Andrews is promptly stripped and robbed by masseuses there.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
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But at the midpoint, the hue of erotic memories seems to alter.—
Jane Alison
June 17,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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This is a fruit ripe for picking and every investor, private-equity firm and sovereign wealth fund looking for a prize asset in the world’s most popular domestic football league has kicked the tyres at Spurs, taken the tour and run the numbers.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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If the leaf comes out with minimal resistance, the fruit is probably ripe.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adult. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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