ceiling

noun

ˈsē-liŋ How to pronounce ceiling (audio)
Definition of ceilingnext
1
as in limit
a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go there's a ceiling on prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in roof
a raised covering over something for decoration or protection we sat around the campfire under a ceiling of stars

Synonyms & Similar 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 ceiling Activists want ceilings placed on rent increases, greater legal protection for tenants against eviction, and more affordable housing. — ABC News, 14 Nov. 2026 Raising the ceiling on earnings subject to the Social Security tax is where to start. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2026 Daylight filters through sheer curtains at the floor-to-ceiling windows, and nearly every room opens onto a furnished patio or balcony overlooking the pool or the city. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026 Walnut floors run throughout the house, including in the all-white kitchen, where Bianco Carrara marble countertops complement a scalloped light fixture mounted to the ceiling. — Sandra Barrera, Oc Register, 13 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ceiling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceiling
  1. limit
  2. roof
  3. limitation
  4. canopy
  5. boundary
  6. tent
  7. end
Noun
  • But his serious lapse in judgment will dent confidence in one of the world’s most consequential companies, at the very moment when investors have shown that their faith in the market’s AI growth story has limits.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Institutionalizing those limits would help prevent future administrations from using civil-rights enforcement to impose political orthodoxy.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of limit
Noun
  • The best college coaches these days are good on the field but also get people excited enough that the fundraising goes through the roof.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Most of it centered on a life-size reproduction of part of the clock tower on the roof of Wako, a department store in the tony Tokyo neighborhood of Ginza, scarred by a kaiju attack.
    — Matt Alt, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of roof
Noun
  • That capability addresses an important limitation of conventional cargo spacecraft.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Caltech/Momentus Time limitations restricted the robot’s task to a single support.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of limitation
Noun
  • More than the incredible sights, what surprised him most about his visit to the Washington state national park was that little noise penetrated from beyond the verdant canopies.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 14 Nov. 2026
  • On the west side of the island Rarotonga, a narrow road climbs from the lagoon into Maungaroa Valley, where a canopy of multi-trunked mato trees covers the remains of a centuries-old settlement.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of canopy
Noun
  • Protect Jewish students while restoring a clear boundary between harassment and protected speech.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The team’s calculations predicted that these boundaries, known as domain walls, could conduct electricity and move when a voltage was applied.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of boundary
Noun
  • Jackson was taken to the Ravens' medical tent and then immediately escorted to the team's locker room while wearing a towel around his entire right hand.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Meanwhile, police in Portugal early Sunday forcibly cleared a tent camp set up in Lisbon by activists protesting against high housing costs.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of tent
Noun
  • There was D’Agostino’s Villa Nova, a beloved white-tablecloth Italian place that was near the end of its life cycle when Joseph showed up.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Defensive end Austin Booker swatted a pass by Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, and Lynch came down with the football for his first career pick.
    — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of end

Phrases Containing ceiling

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ceilidhs
ceiling
ceilings
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Cite this Entry

“Ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceiling. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ceiling

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