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
The basal foliage remains evergreen in warmer climates (generally Zones 6-8) and serves as a larval food source for the northern metalmark butterfly.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Mazlish watched as his wife programmed her insulin pump to deliver both dribbles of basal insulin throughout the day and a large bolus with meals.
—Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
Both doctors, however, said there’s not yet enough data to say whether nicotinamide supplementation is beneficial for people who have never had skin cancer, or who have had melanoma—which is less common but deadlier than basal and squamous cell disease.
—Jamie Ducharme, Health, 26 Sep. 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
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Mazlish watched as his wife programmed her insulin pump to deliver both dribbles of basal insulin throughout the day and a large bolus with meals.
—Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
Both doctors, however, said there’s not yet enough data to say whether nicotinamide supplementation is beneficial for people who have never had skin cancer, or who have had melanoma—which is less common but deadlier than basal and squamous cell disease.
—Jamie Ducharme, Health, 26 Sep. 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 roughly 50 residents rely on weekday flights for mail and many of their basic supplies, from groceries to Amazon deliveries of everyday household items.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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But their basic goals — the establishment of a caliphate and the strict implementation of sharia law — have been constant.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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According to DeKalb officials, only 83% of elementary seats and 79% of middle school seats were filled during the 2024 to 2025 school year.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The movement to ban or severely restrict screen time learning for elementary-age students comes as nearly 40 states have passed legislation to prohibit or restrict cellphone use in schools, including California, which passed a law that will take effect in July.—
Kate Sequeira,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The puppetry, rudimentary special effects, and unflattering costumes mark it as a distinctly Adult Swim show.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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Yet standard neurological imaging, such as MRI scans, almost never detects abnormalities, and most physicians, who understand the symptoms’ basis in only the most rudimentary sense, can offer little useful counsel.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sign up now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 25% off the regular course price of $127 (plus tax).—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
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Special access for Prime members Amazon is also adding a limited introductory benefit.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The underlying case against Comey has faced headwinds from the start.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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The physical structures may change, but the underlying strength of a community often becomes even more visible during times of adversity.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This has become known as the Atomki anomaly, and many have suggested that a new particle, and a new, fundamental interaction (or fifth force) could be the key explanation behind these findings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
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Their work would help launch the booming field of quantum information science, spurring the development of new technology and the discovery of fundamental connections between physics and information.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Basal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basal. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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