as in slope
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon
the path goes up at a pretty steep gradient before leveling off
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Recent Examples of gradient
But best of all is the palette—a gradient of frosty hues ranging from white to slate blue that will stand out on your kitchen counter long after winter’s end.
—
Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
What the company had previously imagined might look like a bright red line was instead coming into focus as a fuzzy gradient.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Throughout, her eye for color shone in gradients of blues comprising tanzanites, sapphires and blue-green tourmalines, or pink ones playing off rubellites, pink spinels and spessartite garnets.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
The diffused appearance of this gradient design has a mesmerizing, watercolor-like appearance.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gradient
Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
What the company had previously imagined might look like a bright red line was instead coming into focus as a fuzzy gradient.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Throughout, her eye for color shone in gradients of blues comprising tanzanites, sapphires and blue-green tourmalines, or pink ones playing off rubellites, pink spinels and spessartite garnets.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
The diffused appearance of this gradient design has a mesmerizing, watercolor-like appearance.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gradient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradient
Noun
-
For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.—
Sarah Cahalan,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
-
To reach the structure, visitors had to climb a long set of stairs or ride a private tram up the slope.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
-
My inclination next holiday is to continue to hand him the cookies and the card but not the cash.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To prevent knee pain while running on the treadmill, Saad suggests setting the incline to 1 percent to mimic running outside.—
Danielle Zickl,
Outside,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Experts agree that the next step is the incline push-up, a slightly more challenging modification.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradient. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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