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
  • Early pothole testing actually caused a slight structural bend in a rear swingarm.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Out back, a single monoshock is mounted to the massive single-sided swingarm that carries the solo rear wheel shod in a wiiiide 305/30R20 Kenda meat.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of rear
Adjective
  • 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
  • An exam showed indications of a posterior subcapsular cataract in her left eye.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of posterior
Adjective
  • His Samoyed hops up and finds a spot between the athlete’s legs and the sofa’s back pillows.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Woods, at age 48 and trying to recover from multiple back surgeries and a 2023 car crash that shattered his right leg and ankle, finished in last place and made $44,000.
    — Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of back
Adjective
  • One of Windstar’s signature amenities is the aft marina on each ship, which is deployed when conditions are favorable.
    — Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This plug protected one of the 59 screws attaching the aft heatshield to the Apollo 8 command module in December 1968.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 16 July 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 2 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 dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All