beads 1 of 2

noun

plural of bead
as in droplets
the quantity of fluid that falls naturally in one rounded mass squeeze a bead or two of glue onto the seam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

beads

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bead
as in pellets

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 beads
Noun
The company alerted the San Mateo Police Department to two Northern California teenagers who were allegedly using a toy gun to shoot water beads out of one of their vehicles — and the pair were later detained. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 10 July 2026 Smith and Carlos would explain that taking off their shoes represented Black poverty, the beads recalled a history of lynchings, and the scarf celebrated Black pride. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026 Accompanied by her boyfriend Bradley Cooper, the Guest in Residence founder opted for a pink Wiederhoeft dress covered in beads. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 8 July 2026 Product buildup results from using too much detergent and/or laundry boosters such as fabric softeners or scent beads. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026 Also represented are smaller artifacts, including beads, amulets, and incense burners. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026 Kravitz, who is engaged to Swift’s ex Harry Styles, wore a short mesh black dress with gold, silver and black beads adorned from top to bottom. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 Each piece is unique, made with tools such as vintage letterpress stamps, Japanese glass seed beads, and the maker’s personal collection of precious and semiprecious stones. — Rs Editors, Rolling Stone, 2 July 2026 The colors change to indicate how saturated the beads are, and the dyes used contain hazardous chemicals. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beads
  1. droplets
  2. clumps
  3. globs
  4. drips
  5. drops
  6. globules
Noun
  • Notably, the blush-pink design was covered in more than 16,000 glass droplets as a nod to Sophia Loren.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 2026
  • Even small water droplets or airborne debris can damage the protective coatings, radomes, windows, and other critical parts.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
Definition of droplets
Verb
  • Dividing clumps every few years in early spring also maintains their vigor.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026
  • Like generations of potential treatments before it, KRSA-028 is designed to break down a protein called amyloid that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
    — Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of clumps
Noun
  • Bathroom sink drains can become clogged from hair, globs of toothpaste, and soapy residue.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 30 May 2026
  • Bieber’s face artfully dotted with globs of lotion.
    — Lucy Feldman, Time, 6 May 2026
Definition of globs
Noun
  • Be sure to put another piece of cardboard to catch drips that may show up hours later.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
  • This ratio is better than leaner beef mixes because most of the fat drips away during grilling but leaves moisture and flavor behind.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026
Definition of drips
Noun
  • Crews were working on strengthening containment lines and at least one helicopter remained to support firefighters with water drops.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Tan-Luxe’s formula transforms your moisturizer or hydrating serum into a customizable self-tanner—a few drops mixed into your favorite skin-care product develop into a natural-looking glow.
    — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 10 July 2026
Definition of drops
Noun
  • In cream, triglycerides are packaged into globules or crystals.
    — Rosemary Trout, Scientific American, 27 June 2026
  • In cream, triglycerides are packaged into globules or crystals.
    — Rosemary Trout, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
Definition of globules

Browse Nearby Words

beading
beads
beak
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beads. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on beads

Nglish: Translation of beads for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All