curving 1 of 2

adjective

as in curved
marked by a long series of irregular curves the curving shoreline on the island's south side is a beachcomber's paradise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

curving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of curve
1
as in arching
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 bending
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 curving
Verb
Its bright red star Antares marks the heart of the scorpion, with a curving tail extending downward toward the horizon. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Similar to other colubrids, this species possesses a Duvernoy’s gland—a venom gland located behind the eyes and connected by a tube to grooved, backward-curving teeth at the back of the upper jaw. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026 Mary’s body echoes the shape of the frame, curving around Jesus, her gaze following his. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 The Iraqi British architect became famous for her intensely futuristic style characterized by curving façades, sharp angles, and severe materials such as concrete and steel. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026 Instead of straight paths, employ a curving pathway to reveal one part of the garden at a time. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026 Concave center Some pillows have an inward-curving center that has wide side supports. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 31 July 2026 Tears traced the terrain of her face, curving around the high mountains of her cheekbones, pooling at her chin. — Reshma Kirpalani, NPR, 29 July 2026 Winding along Prospect’s curving paths, there’s a sense that the outside world has fallen away. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curving
  1. curved
  2. arching
  3. bending
  4. winding
  5. sweeping
  6. hooking
  7. twisted
  8. arcing
Adjective
  • There is a front porch and inside an enormous fireplace, a living room with its original and curved bay windows, window seats, fireplace, and soft seating.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Pixel Watch 5 keeps the same curved display as its predecessor.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of curved
Verb
  • Keeping your thighs aligned, bend one knee and bring your heel toward your buttocks without arching your back.
    — RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan, HEALTH, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The combination of a moonless sky and the Milky Way arching overhead could make this the standout night for skywatching all year.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of arching
Verb
  • In both the Midnight Screenings and Kinoscope, there are a lot of new voices in cinema, a lot of genre-bending stuff.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And while the film's ending ultimately requires some logic-bending buy-in, the journey to get there is equal parts thrilling, fun, emotional, and ferocious.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bending
Adjective
  • Every floor and room is dedicated to specific watch brands and timepieces, featuring bespoke details like watch-hand door handles and winding-crown faucet handles, all crafted by Florentine artisans.
    — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As such, the show takes you on a winding journey of France’s influential craftsmanship and its impact on America via archival looks, dazzling objects, and more modern creations.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 29 May 2026
Definition of winding
Verb
  • Views are also good at what has become something of a local landmark, particularly to drivers on the nearby M61 motorway who can’t fail to notice the sweeping roof and angled floodlight poles when lit up at night.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Pines with branches sweeping the ground provide protection from cold winds and raptors alike.
    — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sweeping
Verb
  • The toys have cross-generational appeal, as well, hooking kids, teens, adults and the collector market.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Gamers have been hooking these things up to old SSDs and installing Linux on them, and the performance is pretty solid.
    — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of hooking
Adjective
  • The twisted copper can therefore act somewhat like a filter for electron spin.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Farnaby took to social media to get everything completely un-twisted.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of twisted
Verb
  • Totality also brought glimpses of pinkish-red prominences—fountains of plasma arcing above the sun’s surface, dancing at the moon’s edge.
    — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
  • According to the investigative report, video evidence showed two electrical arcing events occurring in quick succession on an out-of-service transmission line.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of arcing

Browse Nearby Words

curvetting
curving
curvy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curving. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on curving

Nglish: Translation of curving 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 oxymoron

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

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