cross-sectional

adjective

as in fragmentary

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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 cross-sectional In October 2025, The Menopause Society reported on a cross-sectional study of more than 3,500 women with an average age of 52. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026 The study was cross-sectional, meaning everyone was assessed once rather than followed over time. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Oct. 2026 One concerning cross-sectional study on 600 women found that cell phone use was linked to a spontaneous loss of their pregnancy, particularly among mothers who engaged in longer call times and used their phone for more applications. — New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026 The study used cross-sectional data from 2018 to 2024 taken from more than 114,000 respondents to the National Health Interview Survey, which is administered by the US Census Bureau. — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026 Bonnie Mitchell, a licensed professional clinical counselor in California, noted that this was an observational, cross-sectional study. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Electrons passing through the two paths pass through the conduction states and through slightly different cross-sectional areas of the nanowire, causing their oscillations at different periods, thereby producing the beating pattern. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026 Because the study was cross-sectional, the findings show an association and do not prove that skipping breakfast causes lower grades. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026 Strength and toughness describe a material’s performance after accounting for a strand’s tiny cross-sectional area or volume. — Aliasger K. Salem, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cross-sectional
  1. fragmentary
  2. partial
  3. sectional
  4. divisional
  5. local
Adjective
  • Fastidious critics are left with nothing but crumbs to scatter on a trail of discussion leading to the door of a theatre, and readers have to extrapolate critics’ full opinions from the fragmentary account that could be written before release.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Both also explore attempts to understand someone who is gone through fragmentary memory, using images as a bridge between the living and the dead.
    — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of fragmentary
Adjective
  • Investors and sports fans can now take their shot at becoming partial owners of one or both teams through pure-play sports stocks, or just pass.
    — Robert Gray, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • News of the potential deal comes as Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a proposal for a partial ceasefire covering energy and food infrastructure, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of partial
Adjective
  • For shoppers, the practical move is to identify your sofa’s specific problem — oversized arms, deep seats, a sectional, loose cushions — before shopping, and match the fit system to that shape rather than buying on pattern alone.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Red Devils, who lost that matchup last season, also will be among the contenders for their first sectional title since 2021.
    — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of sectional
Adjective
  • Week 7 of the NFL season featured a Super Bowl contender getting back on track and a thrilling divisional showdown in the NFC North, plus another comeback win for one of the NFL’s most surprising teams.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The larger equity packages reflect the shift from divisional leadership to the top ranks of a standalone public company, Ryan Colucci, a CAP partner and author of the report, told me.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of divisional
Adjective
  • Public trust creates a separate pressure towards meaningful local commitment.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Sun enters your 3rd House, beginning a month that favors learning, writing, conversations, local activity, and following questions farther than usual.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of local

Browse Nearby Words

cross section
cross-sectional
cross sections
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Cite this Entry

“Cross-sectional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cross-sectional. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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