as in vertical
rising straight up
river rafters staring awestruck at the canyon's nearly perpendicular cliffs
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Recent Examples of perpendicular
The perpendicular energy from Tuesday's earthquake went toward Hawaii.
—
Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 30 July 2025
But with the boat between 50 and 100 yards from the craggy shore near Rubicon Point, its engine failed, causing the vessel to turn broadside — perpendicular — to the oncoming waves, the NTSB said.
—Ethan Wolin
updated July 23, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2025
In April, the brand opened a 1,100-square-foot flagship on Rue François 1er, a perpendicular to luxury shopping epicenter Avenue Montaigne.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 15 July 2025
This wine estate is located up a beautiful valley west of, and perpendicular to, the axis of the hills that form the Côte d’Or.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpendicular
Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 30 July 2025
But with the boat between 50 and 100 yards from the craggy shore near Rubicon Point, its engine failed, causing the vessel to turn broadside — perpendicular — to the oncoming waves, the NTSB said.
—Ethan Wolin
updated July 23, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2025
In April, the brand opened a 1,100-square-foot flagship on Rue François 1er, a perpendicular to luxury shopping epicenter Avenue Montaigne.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 15 July 2025
This wine estate is located up a beautiful valley west of, and perpendicular to, the axis of the hills that form the Côte d’Or.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpendicular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perpendicular
Adjective
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Moving people up and down this vertical city requires 59 elevators, including five double-deck elevators capable of traveling, along with multiple escalators and sky lobbies.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The regression in the Dolphins’ vertical passing game, a problem for most of last season, continued in the opener.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Joseph substituted Toklomati before stoppage time, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
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California environmental officials released guidance for soil testing in late August, but aren’t working on protocols for smoke pollution in standing homes.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the fateful day that inbound Soviet bombers filled the skies above America with godless communism, the horizontal Bomarc missiles would literally become erect, and fire vertically.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
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The name of Fort Benning, for example, was suggested by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, an organization that sought to rewrite history textbooks and erect monuments that honored the Confederacy and downplayed slavery's centrality to the Civil War.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perpendicular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perpendicular. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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