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
While on the runway the dress was blue and black with a trompe-l’œil design, Robbie’s look leaned into more Victorian-era flourishes, with a laced strapless bodice and an onyx and scarlet red gradient petal skirt, striking colors which borrowed from other styles in the show.
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
The coastal capital gradient San Francisco and San Diego both had record years on opposite sides of the spectrum.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
His process combines acrylic sprays, clouded gradients, and thick, deliberate brushstrokes to achieve depth, contrast and luminosity.
—Emma Kershaw, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
That path through air bends and filters sunlight, scattering blues and letting reds and oranges linger, often creating a razor-thin gradient that stretches thousands of miles along the planet's curve.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gradient
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
The coastal capital gradient San Francisco and San Diego both had record years on opposite sides of the spectrum.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
His process combines acrylic sprays, clouded gradients, and thick, deliberate brushstrokes to achieve depth, contrast and luminosity.
—Emma Kershaw, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
That path through air bends and filters sunlight, scattering blues and letting reds and oranges linger, often creating a razor-thin gradient that stretches thousands of miles along the planet's curve.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gradient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradient
Noun
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Nepal crash kills 13 in wedding party KATHMANDU, Nepal -- A bus carrying a wedding party veered off a mountain road in west Nepal and tumbled down a slope in a crash that killed at least 13 people while 34 more were injured, police said Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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Think steep slopes and a 900-foot vertical drop on 585 skiable acres.—
Katy Spratte Joyce,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This is because when people lose weight, the body’s natural inclination is to return to its previous weight – a phenomenon called metabolic adaptation.—
Amy J. Sheer,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
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The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The world outside Silo residents have little idea what's outside, because their video feed shows nothing but scrub, dead trees, and the corpses of deceased cleaners — everything else is obscured by the incline strategically placed around the entrance to the bunker.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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For incline walking, Higgins recommended starting with three to five days a week, 20 to 30 minutes each, at mostly moderate intensity.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradient. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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