below 1 of 3

preposition

Definition of belownext
1
as in beneath
in a lower position than for the photo she sat below everyone else, on the floor actually

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in after
subsequent to in time or order that ranks a little below a root canal on my list of things I'd want to experience

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

below

2 of 3

adverb

bi-ˈlō How to pronounce below (audio)
1
as in underneath
in or to a lower place the skipper climbed below to fix the engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in down
toward or in a lower position when rock climbing I just know that if I look below, I'll become paralyzed with fear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

below

3 of 3

adjective

as in lower

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 below
Preposition
As the graphic below explains, tropical storm or hurricane status is reached when certain sustained wind thresholds are breached. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which operates the de Young and Legion of Honor, laid off 12 employees as attendance remained about 20 percent below pre-pandemic levels. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Adverb
Check out our favorite Halloween inflatables and home decorations below to shop ahead of the Halloween rush. — Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Take $200 off right now, plus more with the coupon code below. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Kyle Tucker received a gigantic contract this offseason and has been a below average hitter this year. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects a below-average Atlantic hurricane season this year, although that doesn’t eliminate the chances of a catastrophic storm. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for below
Recent Examples of Synonyms for below
  1. beneath
  2. after
  3. underneath
  4. down
  5. lower
  6. under
  7. behind
  8. bottom
Preposition
  • Millions of dollars in agricultural equipment are stored beneath the lower seating bowl.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Using the streams as indicators of the groundwater flowing beneath them, Campbell is building a model to identify the best potential sites in Idaho for a subsurface dam.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of beneath
Preposition
  • Certainly there’s been a world of change since the doors of WCC opened a year after that initial gathering – with 1,600 students attending classes in various community facilities.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Bengals traded their first-round pick to the Giants to get Lawrence, while Allen signed during free agency after playing for the Vikings last season.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of after
Adverb
  • DeMellier London has spent them building a business in the increasingly valuable space left underneath.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The slab was too heavy to toss aside, and Osorio was worried there could be more people trapped underneath.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of underneath
Adverb
  • Webb and Payton will lament converting only 5-of-14 attempts on third down, but the Broncos generally appeared in sync operationally.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The number of beef cows is at historic lows for the midyear mark, and the calf crop for 2026 is projected to be down another 2% from last year’s multidecade lows, per the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s cattle report released last month.
    — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • Despite those lower court rulings, the practice has continued nationally, said Gregory Chen, the senior director of government relations for the Immigration Lawyers Association.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 3 Sep. 2025
  • And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
Definition of lower
Preposition
  • Also added during the renovation, open for lunch, and located under a shade tarp on deck, is the Star Grill.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson routinely signed the best from the rest.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of under
Preposition
  • The statues of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, spend the better part of a decade behind closed shutters.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • By halftime, baldness crept between the hashmarks, especially on Highmark Stadium’s south end (to the right if sitting behind the Bills bench).
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of behind
Adjective
  • The real-time nature of both SCR and SCMP, which was already in place in the bottom two EFL divisions, enables greater transparency and swift repercussions should clubs run into trouble with their division’s rules.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There’s the fact that America’s billionaire class, representing a fraction of a fraction of the nation, now holds more wealth than the bottom 50 percent of America combined.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bottom

Phrases Containing below

Browse Nearby Words

beloveds
below
belowground
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Below.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/below. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on below

Nglish: Translation of below 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All