oval 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of ovalnext
as in elliptical
having the shape of an egg the Oval Office in the White House

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

oval

2 of 2

noun

as in egg

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oval
Adjective
The Meta Adventurer comes in a rectangular shape, the Meta Fury takes a more Ray-Ban-like square shape, while a special-edition Meta Glasses by Kylie comes in a slim, oval frame designed in collaboration with Kylie Jenner. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 23 June 2026 Add a circular or oval coffee table to complement the rounded lines. — Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 22 June 2026
Noun
Overlooking the Arkansas River, the majority of the 5,000-square-foot suite is occupied by a modern, all-glass oval office and a conference room, with 2,000 square feet dedicated to private quarters. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026 The leaves of chestnut oaks, however, are similar to the late, great American chestnut (hence the name), though more oval in shape. — Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oval
  1. elliptical
  2. egg
  3. ellipse
  4. loop
  5. spheroid
  6. ball
  7. sphere
  8. orb
Adjective
  • Most are on elliptical trajectories, dipping closer in and then sweeping farther out over their orbits.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers report up to three orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than a comparable circular-cross-section optical fiber containing an elliptical core.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of elliptical
Noun
  • Positioning the eggs upright with their narrow tips facing the top plate yielded the best results.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • But earlier this year, Reis’s MIT colleague, Tal Cohen—whose department leads MIT’s annual egg drop challenge—decided to test that assumption.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of egg
Noun
  • What does touch Earth will create an ellipse of totality over the far north of Russia.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Up here, on the tundra of Alaska’s North Slope, the summer sun dances in an unending ellipse.
    — Jordan McGillis, Washington Post, 18 July 2026
Definition of ellipse
Noun
  • There's also a small flip up carry loop, which is a nice feature for a bottle with a comparably wide diameter.
    — Emily Farris, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Reportedly, the artificial intelligence serves as both the observational eyes and the active navigator throughout the procedure by establishing a continuous feedback loop between real-time ultrasound image processing and physical surgical control.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of loop
Noun
  • The new device is small and round—an oblate spheroid, technically.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026
  • Insights from a trophoblast spheroid model.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Definition of spheroid
Noun
  • In the sequence below, goalkeeper Bernd Leno moves the ball out wide to Jorge Cuenca in frame two.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ball
Noun
  • This is a topic that does not surface in the Jewish Israeli political sphere, unfortunately.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There’s plenty of bolero inspiration to be found in the celebrity sphere, too.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of sphere
Noun
  • The silvery orb’s full appearance also contributed to another celestial event.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The golden orb was a part of an anemone called a cuticle, the base the anemone sits on when it’s attached to something.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of orb

Browse Nearby Words

outworn
oval
ovals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oval. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All