as in obsessive
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
I've always been anal about arranging my books alphabetically by author.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 anal
That means STIs can also cause throat, genital and anal infections.
—
Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
Hemorrhoids are diagnosed after visually inspecting the anal area, while colon cancer is diagnosed and staged by using many different tests.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
How did Farrah Fawcett die? After living with anal cancer for three years, Fawcett died from the illness on June 25, 2009.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 25 June 2025
Allen Ginsberg pops up here, once while reciting best practices for anal hygiene.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anal
Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
Hemorrhoids are diagnosed after visually inspecting the anal area, while colon cancer is diagnosed and staged by using many different tests.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
How did Farrah Fawcett die? After living with anal cancer for three years, Fawcett died from the illness on June 25, 2009.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 25 June 2025
Allen Ginsberg pops up here, once while reciting best practices for anal hygiene.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal
Adjective
-
Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Any new publication of hers is mandatory reading, and not just because transgender Americans are under an obsessive, incessant series of assaults from the current administration and the right more broadly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Stephen Miller made these comments on CNN and was adamant that this would happen.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Although the film would have been far easier to finance if the production took place in another country, Hadi was adamant about shooting in his homeland.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Capping those rates could backfire, resulting in significantly stricter lending standards and making credit unavailable to lower-income people or those with lower credit scores.—
Luciana Lopez,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Per his release, the rapper must follow strict guidelines for the next five years, such as no alcohol, drug testing, and federal supervision when opening bank accounts.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share