as in curvature
something that curves or is curved
the bold curve of the racing yacht's hull
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to arc
to turn away from a straight line or course
after following a straight path most of the way down the mountain, the ski trail abruptly curves to the right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bend
to cause to turn away from a straight line
curved the wood to make a bow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 curve
Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Even if the formula is optimized for hair care, there’s a learning curve to switching to bars.
—Kara McGrath, Allure, 22 Apr. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
From there, the living room centers on a stone fireplace with a curving brick surround, while the formal dining room opens to an arched colonnade and a central brick courtyard.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curve
Noun
The museum has deconstructed the traditional, boxy narrative of art history and rendered the story itself a matter of curves and continuities.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Even if the formula is optimized for hair care, there’s a learning curve to switching to bars.
—Kara McGrath, Allure, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
The young nymph is black with a red, upward-curving abdomen and lacks the wheel-like crest; they are sometimes confused with spiders because of their long, spindly legs.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
From there, the living room centers on a stone fireplace with a curving brick surround, while the formal dining room opens to an arched colonnade and a central brick courtyard.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curve
Noun
-
The usually straight path of light gets curved along the warp, with the degree of curvature dictated by how close to the object of mass the light passes.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
To achieve such a high curvature, the team took advantage of differences in the contraction and expansion of individual layers caused by physical stresses in the material resulting from the fabrication process.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Five of those were from beyond the arc, headlined by a high-arcing Scheierman stepback over center Goga Bitadze.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Brandon Bye played a long, arcing ball-in to Velde at the back post for a centering header and Kelsy tapped the go-ahead goal into a wide-open net.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lengthening the turning basin, and widening the channel bend near the East Breakwater from 560 feet to 800 feet.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But where limestone is crumbly and opaque, nacre’s toughness and light-bending properties come from silklike proteins that weave among the layers, holding them in place while providing enough elasticity to absorb the shock of a fracture.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With a few runway walks under her belt, the eldest daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban is no stranger to a glam gown — or working all her angles in one.—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Abigail Travel Vanity Mirror tilts, swivels and adjusts for every angle.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Philippine performers Charo Santos, Dingdong Dantes, Zia Dantes, AC Bonifacio, and KD Estrada round out the cast.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Forwards Noah Gregor, Jack Studnicka and Nolan Foote plus defenseman Tobias Bjornfot round out the AHL regulars who saw plenty of time with the Panthers this season.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My mom’s eyebrows arch like crawling caterpillars and then straighten out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Back on the highway, the rearview mirror showed the clouds had lifted, the waters were still, and a rainbow had arched across the sky.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the argument continued, Alexander and his 62-year-old father, in turn, urinated on his neighbor’s yard in apparent retaliation for the dog’s actions, prosecutors say.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Calls are made following the fall marathons — Berlin, Chicago and New York — to lock athletes in before the turn of the year, allowing the elite fields to be announced in January.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Burglaries are trending upwards this year, with 21 incidents compared to 18 at this time last year.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curve. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
