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
My father had basal skin cancer and my brother had it.
—
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026
On the other hand, a normal bedtime blood sugar that rises overnight could be explained by the dawn phenomenon or a basal insulin timing issue.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2026
The hesitation neurons are located in the basal ganglia, the same part of the brain affected in Parkinson’s disease, OCD and addiction.
—Eric Yttri, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Super-Earths, by contrast, are larger and experience much higher internal pressures, conditions that could allow basal magma oceans to persist for far longer and sustain magnetic fields over billions of years, the researchers say.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for basal
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026
On the other hand, a normal bedtime blood sugar that rises overnight could be explained by the dawn phenomenon or a basal insulin timing issue.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2026
The hesitation neurons are located in the basal ganglia, the same part of the brain affected in Parkinson’s disease, OCD and addiction.
—Eric Yttri, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Super-Earths, by contrast, are larger and experience much higher internal pressures, conditions that could allow basal magma oceans to persist for far longer and sustain magnetic fields over billions of years, the researchers say.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for basal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basal
Adjective
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Then again, the novel, a worldly form and rather proud of it, has good reason not to question the basic terms of our existence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Instead of bigger SUVs or higher trims — versions of a model with more features and elevated prices — many shoppers are sticking with simpler options like compact sedans, entry-level pickups or the most basic version on the dealer's lot.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Others in attendance had more specific local issues on their mind, like the city’s plan for a new jail, which is currently supposed to be located in the East Bottoms, near Frontier STEM High School and its elementary and middle feeder schools.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
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But this district — with seven elementary and two middle schools — is enduring a crippling strike, affecting about 3,400 students drawn from Santa Fe Springs and parts of Norwalk and Downey.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Rotifers, though microscopic, possess specialized systems such as digestive tracts and rudimentary nervous structures, making their long-term survival in a frozen state particularly notable.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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His pieces include solid wood chairs with a deliberately rudimentary, almost minimal design, integrating ornamental elements such as marquetry panels or tin bas-reliefs into their backs, legs or seats.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That archive of prints is in the process of being broken up for sale, and a few hundred of those boxes, including this set of 36 prints plus a clutch of introductory material and captions, have made their way to Daniel/Oliver, a gallery in East Williamsburg.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
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At Fudd’s introductory press conference with the Wings on April 16, she was asked to comment on her off-court connection with Bueckers by a local reporter.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Encryption, anonymization, and tight controls help, but do not fix the underlying integration gap.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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Whale biologists generally hold that a whale that repeatedly strands itself usually has severe underlying health issues; even towing it back out to deeper waters may not keep it from starving or drowning.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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But the king said despite the fundamental disagreement between the countries, the United States inherited its democratic values from the United Kingdom.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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There are fundamental limits, such as the Planck scale (sometimes called the pixel size of the universe), beyond which the very idea of distance loses meaning.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Basal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basal. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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