as in standing
rising straight up
a lone tree remained erect after the terrible tornado had passed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to raise
to fix in an upright position
the tribes of the Pacific Northwest erected totem poles in front of their dwellings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to build
to form by putting together parts or materials
we'd better erect some sort of shelter before these woods are in total darkness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 erect
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Similarly, just down the road at NATO’s Cyber Center, there are war-gaming exercises in which participants are not simply trying to eject intruders and erect firewalls, but also practicing the critical art of strategic decision-making, Lieutenant Colonel Kühn says.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2025
Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Idaho Historical Society records and a Greenbelt sign erected by the city close to the island do indicate the area near the Old Idaho Penitentiary along the Boise River was home to early Boise sawmill activity.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for erect
Adjective
But there are other rosemary types worth planting, including those with dark blue flowers such as Tuscan Blue, also noteworthy for its erect growth habit, as well as those with pink or white flowers and Golden Rain, a variety which features green foliage with gold margins.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Similarly, just down the road at NATO’s Cyber Center, there are war-gaming exercises in which participants are not simply trying to eject intruders and erect firewalls, but also practicing the critical art of strategic decision-making, Lieutenant Colonel Kühn says.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Now that federal and local authorities have left the area, protesters are moving dumpsters, garbage cans and furniture to erect barricades at the site of the shooting.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Idaho Historical Society records and a Greenbelt sign erected by the city close to the island do indicate the area near the Old Idaho Penitentiary along the Boise River was home to early Boise sawmill activity.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for erect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erect
Adjective
-
The United Center crowd held a standing ovation in support of Murray during a tribute video.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The dealmaking has already gone through Sunday night and began almost as soon as the movie received a standing ovation after its Saturday night premiere at the Eccles Theatre and then enjoyed rave reviews.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Subran estimated that if China were to raise its household disposable-income share in GDP from the current 58% towards the 70% to 75% range observed in advanced economies, private consumption could rise by around 10 percentage points in GDP.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Along with her late husband, the pair founded VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit dedicated to raising social awareness and aiding community causes in Boston, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Beijing has increasingly made clear its efforts to build technological self-sufficiency and hold its own on the global stage.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Those two figures combined have given rise to questions about whether Microsoft can build out computing capacity as fast as planned, and if that issue will further limit Azure’s growth.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Fox Entertainment and Dhar Mann’s production company Dhar Mann Studios are teaming up to create microdramas for Holywater’s MyDrama platform, marking Mann’s first foray into the burgeoning vertical videos business.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Nagahisa and regular cinematographer Hiroaki Takeda capture these traumatic moments as frames within frames — doorways, mirrors, and corners as small windows seen at a distance — vertical rectangles like phone screens.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At Fowlescombe, Chef Wentworth designs four-course, daily-changing menus that draw directly from the farm’s kitchen garden and heritage livestock — incorporating ingredients that are grown, reared and foraged on-site.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This April, biologists will return to the field to capture more pregnant snakes whose babies will be born and reared at the zoo.—
Pepper St. Clair,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Is Mark Zuckerberg constructing a gold mine or a financial sinkhole?—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Mas, the bestselling author of the Villains of Lore and Psycho Shifters series, has a strong historical background to help construct her atmospheric settings.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The soft-close handle in particular stood out—unlike other coolers whose handles fall to the ground, the Ninja’s stayed upright or slowly lowered.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Just sitting, upright—that, apparently, is all there is to zazen.—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After the game, a makeshift stage was constructed on the field for Patriots players to come up, hoist the trophy and tell the TV audience how much this meant to them.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In the cavernous, warehouse-like space, the boys turn into physical exhibitionists, showing off for one another by hoisting heavy chunks of scrap metal and flinging them across the ruin.—
Natalia Winkelman,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Erect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erect. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
