as in direct
free from irregularities or digressions in course
the bullets from early firearms were notorious for not following a strictly linear path through the air
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Recent Examples of linear
In Florida, Miami-Dade county, partly inspired by the High Line, has the Underline, using the unused land below the Miami Metrorail to create a 10-mile linear park.
—
Mark Woods, Florida Times-Union, 13 Mar. 2026
Officials expect the cost to replace a half mile of pipeline between Thorobred Lane and Locust Drive to cost about $966,000, or roughly $350 per linear foot.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
His recent ascent comes as global audiences shift from the linear TV industry and move toward individual figures.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Paths to the big leagues are never identical, and rarely linear.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linear
Mark Woods, Florida Times-Union, 13 Mar. 2026
Officials expect the cost to replace a half mile of pipeline between Thorobred Lane and Locust Drive to cost about $966,000, or roughly $350 per linear foot.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
His recent ascent comes as global audiences shift from the linear TV industry and move toward individual figures.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Paths to the big leagues are never identical, and rarely linear.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linear
Adjective
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What was once a relatively direct connection between continents is becoming a patchwork of workarounds.—
Zach Levitt,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The consensus was that the most important thing was to avoid direct contact between the baby’s skin and the patch.—
Heather Grossmann,
Parents,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Bella Hadid followed suit, while also making appearances in the Italian city of design, styling a brown suede jacket with straight-leg denim and pointy boots, leaning into her now-infamous cowgirl-with-a-twist aesthetic.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
17 Mar. 2026
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Phoenix is expected to have five straight days of triple-digit temperatures this week -- only once before, in 1988, has the city recorded a 100-degree day in March, DePodwin said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The most straightforward solution to the current crisis is for Congress to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).—
Jackson Shedelbower,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
-
As models walk their final runways and editors catch evening flights out of Paris Fashion Week, this week’s standout beauty looks appear almost deceptively straightforward.—
Arden Fanning Andrews,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Linear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linear. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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