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

dorsal

adjective

Definition of dorsalnext
as in rear

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 dorsal Another stealth feature is the dorsal air inlets on the upper surface of the fuselage. — David Szondy april 21, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026 Unlike the vast majority of frog species that rely on water for egg development, this miniature amphibian uses a dorsal pouch to carry and nurture its young. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026 Unlike most frog species that rely on water for egg development, this species uses a dorsal pouch to carry and nurture its young. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026 The two Spinosaurus species, which were contemporaneous, shared the same general body plan including long dorsal spines forming the sail-like structure and a skull adapted for hunting fish. — Reuters, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dorsal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dorsal
  1. rear
  2. posterior
  3. back
  4. aft
Adjective
  • The children were hit by the passenger side front and rear doors of Metayer’s 2012 Nissan Versa.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The modifications made to the vehicle result in an interior that feels significantly roomier and now has actual cargo room, even if its rear row of seats is still cramped.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rear
Adjective
  • Pelvic tilts When instructed to stay in one place, our pelvis, seeking comfort, can tilt itself into an anterior (towards the front of your body) or posterior (towards the back of your body) position.
    — Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
  • When your braking system is working optimally, much of the shock absorption happens in the larger posterior chain muscles of the back of your body — specifically your lower back, glutes, hamstrings and calves.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of posterior
Adjective
  • In the back drop, the heroines juggle the search for their father, love lives, sibling tensions and a gallery of colorful, sometimes deadly, characters who cross their paths.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Simmons has missed the Chiefs’ first three games because of a back injury.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of back
Adjective
  • The Lake of Dreams show still feels like an oddly charming fever dream—projections, puppetry, and music best experienced from SW, Lakeside, or the aft-deck fantasy bar literally called Aft.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The aft end of Nova’s second stage is designed with a heat shield to protect the vehicle during reentry through Earth’s atmosphere.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of aft

Browse Nearby Words

dorms
dorsal
dory
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Dorsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dorsal. Accessed 30 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

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 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