1
as in bending
to cause to turn away from a straight line
the cat arched her back whenever she was stroked
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curving
to turn away from a straight line or course
the path gradually arches off into the woods
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arching
Infiniti’s nomination follows an outcry over her exclusion from the Academy Awards, with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio among those arching an eyebrow.
—
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
At one point, the arching filament detached from one of its anchor points on the sun and launched out into space, blown by the ferocity of the solar wind.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Hakonechloa ‘Stripe It Rich’ Ideal for adding movement, this ornamental grass features arching golden blades with clean white striping.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Pull your stomach inward toward the spine and hold this position without sagging hips or arching your back.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 13 Jan. 2026
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
It is therefore trained so that a single trunk develops from which an arching canopy grows, eventually reaching a height of 20 feet with an equal spread.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
That project included public art, a veterans memorial park, road improvements, underground utilities lines, new sidewalks, landscaping, and two Vista signs arching over the roadway.
—Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The Canadian cultural mosaic, in which distinct identities exist parallel to an over-arching nationalism, further offered an alternative to the melting pot model found south of the border.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
At one point, the arching filament detached from one of its anchor points on the sun and launched out into space, blown by the ferocity of the solar wind.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Hakonechloa ‘Stripe It Rich’ Ideal for adding movement, this ornamental grass features arching golden blades with clean white striping.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Pull your stomach inward toward the spine and hold this position without sagging hips or arching your back.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 13 Jan. 2026
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
It is therefore trained so that a single trunk develops from which an arching canopy grows, eventually reaching a height of 20 feet with an equal spread.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
That project included public art, a veterans memorial park, road improvements, underground utilities lines, new sidewalks, landscaping, and two Vista signs arching over the roadway.
—Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The Canadian cultural mosaic, in which distinct identities exist parallel to an over-arching nationalism, further offered an alternative to the melting pot model found south of the border.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arching
Verb
-
The film, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last fall, is a genre-bending portrait of singer, songwriter and beloved artist Marianne Faithfull.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Jan. 2026
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Weeks later and about 90 blocks south, fellow Tony winner Matthew Broderick began playing the pious con man that causes holy hell in Lucas Hnath and Sarah Benson’s gender-bending revival.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The ridges all lean the same way, slanting and curving in from the lower left of the frame, which ESA noted reflects the direction of the prevailing wind in this region.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
This results in plasma flows curving backward instead of expanding freely, and old plasma is pushed sideways, forming long, wispy tails.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Also mentioned is an auto-hitch system to simplify hooking it up to the tow vehicle.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Jan. 2026
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The great Amazon in its north drains large areas as does the Parana-River Plate watershed to its south that reaches the Atlantic in the estuary between Argentina and Uruguay, The San Francisco flows north for hundreds of miles before hooking a right and dropping to the Atlantic.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Heated Rivalry also makes a splash on the latest Top TV Songs list, bowing with three tunes in the top six.—
Kevin Rutherford,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Congress needs to stop bowing to the king and serve the people they were elected to represent.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arching. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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