plastic

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective plastic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plastic are adaptable, ductile, malleable, pliable, and pliant. While all these words mean "susceptible of being modified in form or nature," plastic applies to substances soft enough to be molded yet capable of hardening into the desired fixed form.

plastic materials allow the sculptor greater freedom

In what contexts can adaptable take the place of plastic?

While in some cases nearly identical to plastic, adaptable implies the capability of being easily modified to suit other conditions, needs, or uses.

computer hardware that is adaptable

When can ductile be used instead of plastic?

The words ductile and plastic can be used in similar contexts, but ductile applies to what can be drawn out or extended with ease.

ductile metals such as copper

When is it sensible to use malleable instead of plastic?

Although the words malleable and plastic have much in common, malleable applies to what may be pressed or beaten into shape.

the malleable properties of gold

When would pliable be a good substitute for plastic?

The meanings of pliable and plastic largely overlap; however, pliable suggests something easily bent, folded, twisted, or manipulated.

pliable rubber tubing

When might pliant be a better fit than plastic?

The words pliant and plastic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, pliant may stress flexibility and sometimes connote springiness.

an athletic shoe with a pliant sole

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 plastic Passing through clear plastic tubes, muck was sliced into disks like hockey pucks. Rodrique Ngowi, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025 Guest rooms are stocked with glass water bottles and non-plastic coffee pods. Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2025 My office is full of plastic cups. Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025 Officials said Drexler wrapped the infant in plastic bags and put him in a trash bin. Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plastic
Adjective
  • Denim and leather were a popular pairing, as well as camouflage and waxy coatings.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Some believed the waxy top layer had been added later, masking the original contents within.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The conversations, of course, were mock for journalistic purposes.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The piping adds an athletic flair to the mock-neck sweater and sweatpant set, and small slits on the front of the hems add extra interest.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Though the former couple remained close in the years after their separation, their relationship allegedly became strained when Simon stopped paying for their children’s school and medical fees following a change on his tax return.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • In contrast to Bella’s strained relationship with Coverley, her bond with her father was effortless.
    Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The company pointed out that the integration of laser systems on the lightweight, highly mobile ISV platform reflects a commitment to scalable, adaptable, and expeditionary force protection solutions.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Samsung's success has shown that foldables are a functional evolution of mobile hardware—one that turns the phone into an adaptable tool able to transition from compact to expansive, depending on the task at hand.
    Mark Vena, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert earlier in 2025 to encourage parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with responding to a fake text.
    Susan Tompor, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
  • To make Reen feel comfortable and truly welcomed, Long’s entire extended family wore fake tattoo sleeves to the reunion.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Older adults’ brains are also malleable, but less so.
    Paul Spann, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
  • And sometimes a rift develops between the world and a mind, a stark reminder that awareness is malleable.
    Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Stories abound in folklore of the unnatural taking the place of the natural.
    Adam Verner September 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Changing these molecules would create an unnatural mirror image of a cell, as different as your right hand from your left.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The money would provide for beginning mechanical removal of the algae mass in the most problematic areas and setting up test areas for the effectiveness of algicides, Miller said.
    Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • And while ultrasound techniques can modulate the activity of neurons by delivering gentle mechanical pulses that influence how cells send signals, current systems have struggled to reach deeper areas of the brain with sufficient precision—until now.
    Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plastic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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