as in spines
a column of bones supporting the trunk of a vertebrate animal
uncovered the chine of some animal while digging in the backyard
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Recent Examples of chines
At low speeds, the wide upper chines deliver stability and good fuel performance.
—
Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025
Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chines
Noun
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The tuatara is a charismatic medium-size reptile with a Muppet-like face and a row of spines running down its back.—
Elizabeth Preston,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
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At a distance many of these plants appear fluffy, with a bushiness that upon closer inspection reveals hundreds, likely thousands, of prickly spines.—
Von Diaz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In the economy of tomorrow, community colleges and vocational-technical schools—optimized for true lifelong learning with apprenticeship and mentorship programs—will likely be the backbones of public and private education alike.—
Eric Holcomb,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
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Discovered in 1981, the tiny backbones — just a few millimeters long — had not received much attention historically.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The 24-year-old succeeds against all three levels of the pass defense, blocks well against defensive backs and even front-seven defenders and runs for yards off jet-motion touches, screens and downfield passes.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
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Sierra Canyon senior Brannon Martinsen opened up the game with back-to-back offensive put-backs, a trend of the first half.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chines. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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