diagonal 1 of 2

Definition of diagonalnext
as in oblique
running in a slanting direction The diagonal design ran up the wall all the way from the lower left to the upper right-hand corner.

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diagonal

2 of 2

noun

as in slope
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon The ramp was set at a low diagonal to make it easier for wheelchairs.

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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 diagonal
Adjective
Peterborough noticed Birmingham’s long diagonal passes were causing them problems and tried to cut those out in the second game. Gregg Evans, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 The old bridge, dating back to 1914, was a Pratt pony truss bridge, with a web of vertical and diagonal beams. Adam Harrington, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Slice tenderloins crosswise on the diagonal. Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025 France is often associated with having an 'empty' middle, a strip of vast land that traverses the country diagonally (the 'diagonale du vide', the empty diagonal), which is less populated than its mountains or coastlines and has fewer infrastructure and services. Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for diagonal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diagonal
Adjective
  • Rookie Owen Caissie, a late addition to the starting lineup after original first baseman Christopher Morel was scratched with a left oblique strain, then drove in Edwards with a double to left-center.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Lowe missed much of spring training because of oblique tightness on his left side.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The route winds through 36 tunnels, including the historic Moffat Tunnel, before reaching the ski slopes.
    Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
  • During a training session before the January 2024 event in Laax, Switzerland, Choi hit the lip of the slope while practicing a flat Cab 1080, breaking her back in the subsequent crash.
    Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • As part of his new collection for the brand, Arnold unveiled a new shape—a slightly sloping, almost smile-like pleat that’s simultaneously nonchalant and fully sophisticated.
    Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Their test setup involved a ramp containing sand to simulate sloping dunes on Mars.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If conservatism is something of an inclination or disposition, leftism of the more radical sort is a form of all-consuming identity, one that fills vacuums in otherwise empty lives and comprehensively guides behavior.
    Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Gontang notes that walking on an incline can make a substantial difference because walking uphill requires more muscle activation and greater energy expenditure than walking on a flat surface.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Pitchers throw every day in season between competition days, bullpens, flat ground sessions and box drills off of an incline from 35 feet out.
    Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • His sloped shoulders suggested bodily power that was sleepy and sly; his large head and dark, badly cut hair amplified the weight and solidity of him, but his lips were sensitive and a little slack, as if yearning for something he’d been long deprived of.
    Mary Gaitskill, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
  • The sloped, landscaped half-acre lot offers a terrace and a two-car garage.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 30 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Diagonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diagonal. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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