1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
since the start of her acting career her parents have steadfastly remained her arch supporters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wise
displaying or marked by rude boldness
was so arch as to ask him outright if he was wearing a toupee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the arch look on the girl's face betrayed her as the one who had tricked the babysitter into believing that the house was haunted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in curvature
something that curves or is curved
the limestone arch is a natural formation that is the product of many years of erosion
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to bend
to cause to turn away from a straight line
the cat arched her back whenever she was stroked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to curve
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
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 arch
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025
There’s often an arch detachment where the singer tries to pretend as though they haven’t actually been poisoned by being online themselves.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Trump has also proposed an arch to be built, across from the Lincoln Memorial.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The long, slender necks and arched stems of Bosc pears, the round, silhouette of Comice.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arch
Adjective
Cold weather calls for this faux fur lining, a removable and machine washable insole with arch support (great for victims of plantar fasciitis) alongside top-grade materials like sheepskin and suede for a winter slipper worth investing in.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025
There’s often an arch detachment where the singer tries to pretend as though they haven’t actually been poisoned by being online themselves.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Plus, its textured arch pattern looks great draped over the couch or the foot of the bed when you’re not wrapped up in it.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Trump has also proposed an arch to be built, across from the Lincoln Memorial.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Iza emerged from its arching French front doors as Childs exited his car.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The long, slender necks and arched stems of Bosc pears, the round, silhouette of Comice.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arch
Adjective
-
But for much of the past two centuries, Port Renfrew’s main source of employment was not promoting trees but rather chopping them down—particularly, giant, old-growth trees that fetched the highest value.—
Brad Badelt,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Rachelle Salnave, a filmmaker in Haiti, sent me videos of a piece of the Route Nationale, the country’s main transportation artery, collapsing like a glacier into a roiling, swollen river.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The military plays only an advisory role in the American system, giving input to the president’s deliberations but not otherwise independently adjudicating whether his or her decision is wise.—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Kyle Dubas made a very wise move by signing Mantha, who fits in very nicely with this group and is playing high-level hockey.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Clearly, Rascal lived up to his mischievous name by finding the well in the first place.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Benjamin Franklin would invent bifocals in 1874, Thomas Young would spot the uneven curvature of the cornea (astigmatism) in 1801, and steel wire would be developed in metal frames after 1837.—
Daniel Fusch,
Ascend Agency,
11 Nov. 2025
-
In his general theory of relativity, Einstein described space-time as a four-dimensional manifold, and gravity as that manifold’s curvature.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
How to build systems that bend instead of break.—
Victoria Chynoweth,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
-
With your hands on the wall for support, bend your knees toward the wall.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
So much of Brazil strains the imagination—the interminable skyline of São Paulo, the beaches of Rio curving between monoliths of granite, the aquamarine pools trapped between the undulating dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses.—
William O'Connor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But by the early 19th century, some mathematicians had started exploring other kinds of geometric spaces — ones that aren’t flat but rather curved like a sphere or saddle.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Thailand accused Cambodia of laying fresh landmines following the removal of a barbed wire fence, which was discovered on November 9.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The streamer has announced a series order for A Different World, a fresh sequel to the beloved 1990s sitcom that helped define a generation of Black television.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
With the launch of the Culling Game in the aftermath, 10 colonies from across Japan are transformed into dens of curses as part of a plot orchestrated by the most wicked sorcerer in history, Noritoshi Kamo.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The rhymes are wicked smart, clever and memorable.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arch. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share