as in obsessive
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
I've always been anal about arranging my books alphabetically by author.
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Recent Examples of anal
Fox was diagnosed with vulvar cancer in February 2019, then cervical cancer soon after, and she was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2023.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Forensics find feces under the fingernail, suggesting it had been used in anal play before it was mailed.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Doctors discover severe condition At a nearby hospital, doctors initially believed Paloma Quatrini was suffering from a condition known as anal prolapse.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Scooting is often a sign that your dog’s anal glands are full, irritated or not emptying properly.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for anal
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Forensics find feces under the fingernail, suggesting it had been used in anal play before it was mailed.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Doctors discover severe condition At a nearby hospital, doctors initially believed Paloma Quatrini was suffering from a condition known as anal prolapse.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Scooting is often a sign that your dog’s anal glands are full, irritated or not emptying properly.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for anal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal
Adjective
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Bonus points for prescient insights into the dark side of obsessive super-fandom.—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
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But although resistance is similarly futile, their goals are less about assimilation than worshipping the obsessive Grant's wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks).—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The characters can be flawed, and cars can crash, McDermott says, but NASCAR wanted race scenes to look authentic and was adamant that the series not depict anyone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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Warsh would take the chairmanship at a complicated time, given that a spike in gas prices could keep the central bank from lowering interest rates — a move that Trump has been adamant on.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Our justice system depends on public confidence, and, as a result, the rules governing lawyers in every state are strict.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Passengers on board — representing more than 20 nationalities, including Americans — have been placed under strict health monitoring and isolation protocols as a precaution.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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