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
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Recent Examples of erect
William Earl, Variety, 28 Dec. 2025
These types of restrictions allegedly suppress team earnings and erect barriers to entry for any rival to the Cup Series.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2026
Had action been deferred, Iran’s rapidly increasing ballistic missile would have soon reached the point of immunity — erecting a shield of threatened destruction behind which the mullah’s nuclear program could be rebuilt.
—Chuck Devore, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for erect
Adjective
Thanks for that last shot of a fully erect Tommy.
—William Earl, Variety, 28 Dec. 2025
These types of restrictions allegedly suppress team earnings and erect barriers to entry for any rival to the Cup Series.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Verb
The Washington Consensus was traditionally wary of developing countries picking winners and losers, erecting trade barriers and subsidizing favored industries.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2026
Had action been deferred, Iran’s rapidly increasing ballistic missile would have soon reached the point of immunity — erecting a shield of threatened destruction behind which the mullah’s nuclear program could be rebuilt.
—Chuck Devore, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for erect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erect
Adjective
-
Kaufman-Renn finally converted off Smith's feed a few minutes later — and all the senior guard did was ever-so-briefly stick a finger in the air as a crowd tilted heavily toward Purdue fans waved signs and gave him a standing ovation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Dejounte Murray had 17 points and a season-high 11 assists, while Zion Williamson and rookie Derrick Queen each scored 14 for the Pelicans (24-46), who received a standing ovation as the final seconds wound down on their sixth straight victory at home and ninth win in their past 13 games overall.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Young raised concerns about the legitimacy, and even the existence, of the agreement.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The goal is to continue the mission with the money raised.—
Kerri Corrado,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Duren had 13 points and seven rebounds in the quarter to help the Pistons build a 65-56 halftime lead.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
None appeared in building directories.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond the unit itself, The Avery markets a full-service lifestyle — more of a vertical resort than traditional condo building — where the amenities are part of the pitch.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
His most successful offenses in Baltimore were built around one of the most dynamic, dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, Lamar Jackson, who could toggle between power run concepts, RPO-heavy designs, and vertical play-action shots.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Things with Turner got messy quickly with custody issues rearing their head, but seemed to have settled down now.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Alcaraz reared back and ripped a 95 mph forehand across the court for a winner, then skipped his way to the bench.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Garcia went on to exclusively play instruments constructed by Irwin for the next two decades.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The scenarios were constructed so that faithfully completing the task would result in the other model being shut down.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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The capsule will then make a water landing likely Friday, April 10, in the Pacific Ocean near California, after which five orange airbags will inflate around the top of the spacecraft and flip the capsule into an upright position.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Each, by necessity, hoists the other by its bootstraps out of abject improbability.—
David W. Brown,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Rodriguez landed on his knees, injuring his shoulder, and was hoisting himself back up when Hernandez allegedly targeted Williams, according to prosecutors.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Erect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erect. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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