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
Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2026
The front house sits at a diagonal rather than flush to the street because the roads were built later.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 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
Four minutes after entering the game, Silvetti, the 20-year-old Argentine, launched a long-distance diagonal shot that landed inside the left post to give Miami hope.
—Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2026
The front house sits at a diagonal rather than flush to the street because the roads were built later.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 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
-
The British, by contrast, preferred their insults more oblique.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The 76ers were without their top four scorers in All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain), Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Paul George (league suspension) and VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion).—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.—
Sarah Cahalan,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
-
To reach the structure, visitors had to climb a long set of stairs or ride a private tram up the slope.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 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
-
The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The younger Khamenei is close to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the regime’s decision to elevate him to the top spot is seen as evidence hard-liners are in charge with little inclination to reach a deal that ends the war.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
To prevent knee pain while running on the treadmill, Saad suggests setting the incline to 1 percent to mimic running outside.—
Danielle Zickl,
Outside,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Experts agree that the next step is the incline push-up, a slightly more challenging modification.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
5 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 14 Mar. 2026.
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