1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

degrees

noun

plural of degree
1
as in stages
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking they worked on the project by degrees and eventually it got done

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in levels
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement a Freemason of the 32nd degree

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 degrees Overcast weather with temperatures in the 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit range is best. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026 The material also survived temperatures reaching 1,562 degrees Fahrenheit. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026 Glover received his Bachelor of Science in general engineering from Cal Poly, which along with Brown University awarded him honorary Doctor of Science degrees. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026 Wednesday, where a thermostat in the basement was set to 81 degrees, creating hot and humid conditions. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Only Sosa had to deal with as much nonstop media attention, something Crow-Armstrong has learned to do this summer with varying degrees of success. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 Temperature highs are at 83 degrees with winds blowing north at 15 mph and gusts as high as 25 mph, according to NWS Melbourne. — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026 Foods in cold storage that needed to be at or under 41 degrees, but were mostly over in the 60s, were chicken broth, beef broth, garlic sauce, eggs and egg whites. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Rock Hill could reach 92 degrees and a heat index of 102, according to the forecast. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrees
  1. stages
  2. levels
  3. points
  4. positions
  5. chapters
  6. ranks
  7. phases
  8. echelons
Noun
  • In this case, that’s made easier by the wealth of Kraft and the other venue owners who did not want Macklemore on their stages, along with populist anger at billionaires.
    — Kenneth L. Marcus, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Review is just one of the stages where speed gains get canceled out.
    — Illia Smoliienko, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of stages
Noun
  • Women who have a restricted diet and may not get enough iron-rich foods, those who have absorption issues or those who have particularly heavy menstrual cycles may be more likely to have lower iron levels.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Thanks to the coffered and baffled wood ceilings, noise levels are buffered and kept to a pleasant rumble.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of levels
Noun
  • These—which would soon earn its authors comparisons to Adolf Hitler, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Spanish Inquisition, and which would be called the Jurenberg Laws, reminiscent of the Nuremberg Laws—included seven points.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Republicans lead Democrats on border security and crime by over 20 percentage points, but are significantly less popular on data centers and healthcare — Democrats score 12 points higher than Republicans on the former and over 20 on the latter.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of points
Noun
  • Several militants took up positions inside the complex, and a shootout with security officers ensued, said police official Mohammad Sadiq.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The group said the attacks were retaliation for Saudi military operations against Houthi positions in Yemen.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of positions
Noun
  • Spanning 16 hours in 16 chapters, Mark covers the sweeping history of documentary, from its late 19th-century origins to today.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Following the launch of her first brand in 2016, Sami Miró Vintage, the new Pacsun womenswear brand showcases its first collection, with eight more chapters to follow over the next two years.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of chapters
Noun
  • The ‘brass ceiling’ Historically, women, Black service members and service members of color have faced discrimination and violence within the ranks.
    — Jeremiah Favara, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Some people love the NFL, and others prefer college football over the professional ranks.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of ranks
Noun
  • The miscues and lack of execution affected all phases of the game during their 6-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The famed dictionary added 1,400 new words to its dictionary on Wednesday, many focused on internet-first phases and trends.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of phases
Noun
  • After folding into Kawasaki, Bimota has returned to the upper echelons of motorsport as well, taking over the factory WorldSBK team in 2025.
    — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The materials and craftsmanship are consistent with a garment that belonged to the highest echelons of Elizabeth’s English court.
    — Filippo Iarocci, Vanity Fair, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of echelons

Phrases Containing degrees

Browse Nearby Words

degree
degrees
degressive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Degrees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrees. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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 the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All