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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of diagonal
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Niko Tsakiris pushed the ball ahead to Werner on the left wing, who made a half-turn and fed a streaking Bouda with a low diagonal pass that beat the last man on the Philadelphia back line.
—Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
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
Adjective
To do this easily, cut the potato half lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then stack a few slices at a time and thinly slice at a diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick sticks.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Niko Tsakiris pushed the ball ahead to Werner on the left wing, who made a half-turn and fed a streaking Bouda with a low diagonal pass that beat the last man on the Philadelphia back line.
—Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 8 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
-
Sometimes the unlikely muse arrives in the form of a deliberately strange instruction, or, rather, oblique strategy.—
Jennifer Sodini,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Betts based some of his optimism on his previous experience with an oblique strain in 2018 (his MVP season).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One branch slopes northeast to feed the Yellowstone caldera, while a second branches off toward the Snake River Plain.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Scheffler rolled in an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 second hole, and followed with a driver on the 350-yard third hole that tumbled up the slope and onto the green, setting up a two-putt birdie from about 35 feet.—
Doug Ferguson,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 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
-
Even in the present tense, the characters express no political opinions, taste in movies and music, hobbies—or backstories that shape such inclinations.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Mamdani has thus far shown no inclination to act differently.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The seven-mile Torreya Challenge Loop steadily climbs and dips, meandering over creeks, an old forest road, and blackberry brambles, following a ridge where mountain laurels bloom in the spring, and visitors can find the steepest incline in the park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Camp Jeep is another main attraction, which allows riders to experience a thrilling 28-foot incline and other obstacles in a Jeep driven by a professional driver.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
31 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
Cite this Entry
“Diagonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diagonal. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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