as in tropical
being near the equator
a lush equatorial rain forest that is threatened by rampant development
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Recent Examples of equatorial
El Nino refers to the warmer-than-average phase of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural cycle where sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific rise and fall.
—
Dan Peck, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, and a series of shifts in winds and precipitation patterns in the atmosphere.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Most of them gravitated to Minnesota — a very different climate from their equatorial homeland, but a state with a great tradition of tolerance for newcomers.
—Robert W. Laird, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for equatorial
Dan Peck, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, and a series of shifts in winds and precipitation patterns in the atmosphere.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Most of them gravitated to Minnesota — a very different climate from their equatorial homeland, but a state with a great tradition of tolerance for newcomers.
—Robert W. Laird, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for equatorial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equatorial
Adjective
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And like more tropical water corals, these ecosystems are also sensitive to changes in water temperature and acidity.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now take into consideration that forecasters expect an El Niño — a phase of a natural climate phenomenon that warms up the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean — to develop late this year.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is an area of low pressure that forms west to northwest of Hawai’i during the cool season (November through March) and often taps into subtropical moisture.—
Jen Murphy,
Outside,
24 Mar. 2026
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Many plants sold as gifts, such as the Norfolk Island pines popular as living Christmas trees, are tropical or subtropical species.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Equatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equatorial. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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