as in slopes
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 gradients
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
Anticipate digital invites with minimalist text influenced by contemporary Southwest architecture, sunset gradients, cactus and agave symbols, and warm earth tones.
—Craig Lebrau, AZCentral.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Gemstones, gradients, and graphic indulgences aside, there's nothing wrong with going back to the source.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 9 Feb. 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
Hisense says cyan occupies a part of the spectrum where the human eye is especially sensitive, allowing the panel to render smoother gradients, more realistic tones and subtler transitions without oversaturation.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
Calendar pages with gradients, text overlays, or metallic accents create the most striking effects for this one, as the spiral created reveals unexpected color combinations.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Columns painted in gradients of yellow, red, and bronze evoke stability and uplift.
—Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
The image was captured using the telescope's most sensitive X-ray instrument, the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC)-pn, revealing a distinct X-ray glow (shown in red) surrounded by fainter gradients.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
Anticipate digital invites with minimalist text influenced by contemporary Southwest architecture, sunset gradients, cactus and agave symbols, and warm earth tones.
—Craig Lebrau, AZCentral.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Gemstones, gradients, and graphic indulgences aside, there's nothing wrong with going back to the source.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 9 Feb. 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
Hisense says cyan occupies a part of the spectrum where the human eye is especially sensitive, allowing the panel to render smoother gradients, more realistic tones and subtler transitions without oversaturation.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
Calendar pages with gradients, text overlays, or metallic accents create the most striking effects for this one, as the spiral created reveals unexpected color combinations.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Columns painted in gradients of yellow, red, and bronze evoke stability and uplift.
—Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
The image was captured using the telescope's most sensitive X-ray instrument, the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC)-pn, revealing a distinct X-ray glow (shown in red) surrounded by fainter gradients.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradients
Noun
-
That’s when the group attempted a perilous escape from the remote Frog Lake huts in a blinding blizzard beneath towering, avalanche-prone slopes.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The setting is beautiful and sun drenched with views of the slopes.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There was treadmill work, the running deck set at steep inclines, the speed gradually increasing.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But the car—small, low to the ground, and exceedingly heavy, owing to the ballistic steel and glass—is not suited to a city like Caracas, which is rife with steep inclines and deep potholes, and is best travelled in a four-by-four.—
Armando Ledezma,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users.—
K. Desbouis,
Artforum,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradients.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradients. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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