as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
many students lacked even a basal familiarity with the topic
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Recent Examples of basal
Dystonia is thought to begin in the part of the brain called the basal ganglia that controls how muscles contract.
—
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The exact cause is unknown, but it is believed to result from dysfunction in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that controls movement.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
About two minutes in, a chunk of Ship's skirt — the basal part near its engine bay — broke apart, sending debris floating into the final frontier.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The shallow sensors were thus unable to access deep brain regions—such as the hypothalamus, thalamus, basal ganglia, and limbic system—that govern hunger, thirst, sleep, pain, memory, emotions, and other important perceptions and behaviors.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for basal
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The exact cause is unknown, but it is believed to result from dysfunction in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that controls movement.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
About two minutes in, a chunk of Ship's skirt — the basal part near its engine bay — broke apart, sending debris floating into the final frontier.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The shallow sensors were thus unable to access deep brain regions—such as the hypothalamus, thalamus, basal ganglia, and limbic system—that govern hunger, thirst, sleep, pain, memory, emotions, and other important perceptions and behaviors.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for basal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basal
Adjective
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Its boxy fit and hip-skimming length call to mind the actress’s style, while its fall-ready texture adds a trendy twist to basic outerwear.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Billowing sleeves and a loose, flowy hem allow the top to move with you through the airport, during sightseeing excursions, and even out to a nice dinner, and the neutral sage color keeps the top sufficiently wearable as your new go-to basic.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, my two sons attend Milford Schools at the elementary and high school level.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Oct. 2025
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Higley Unified School District Seeks a maintenance and operations budget override of 15% to support teacher compensation, class sizes, educational resources for classrooms, elementary programs, including physical education, music and arts, all-day kindergarten and gifted programs.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The rudimentary device, likely made from firework explosives, was planted outside the front gate of Ranucci’s house in Campo Ascolano, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Rome, the journalist told state broadcaster RAI on Friday.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
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The department, run by State Superintendent Jill Underly, relies on a rudimentary system to track its investigations, obscuring the scale of misconduct for policymakers and the public.—
Danielle DuClos,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The introductory rate for a single-person membership is $249 per month, although the monthly dues will likely increase based on demand, Dewey, the general manager, said.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
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And in the comments of her introductory video, her team shoots down every plausible guess.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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More than half of the companies surveyed cited security as the primary underlying reason for providing personal use of corporate jet and chauffeur services.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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The mother-in-law even offered to pay for the woman’s share of the bachelorette weekend, but that didn't solve the underlying issues.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Final thoughts The fundamental components of our physical Universe, along with the fundamental laws that govern all of existence, represent the most successful scientific picture of the Universe in all of history.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Oct. 2025
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Building on the initial partnership, the coming six years will be about deepening fundamental research on the species’ biology; further developing knowledge on the ecosystem that surrounds red coral, and developing reproduction techniques that will allow conservation efforts at scale.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Basal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basal. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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