plumb 1 of 3

plumb

2 of 3

adverb

1
as in straight
in a direct line or course I can't believe he walked plumb into the tree, without even seeing it!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

plumb

3 of 3

verb

as in to scale
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line plumbed the bay to make sure it was deep enough for the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective plumb differ from other similar words?

The words perpendicular and vertical are common synonyms of plumb. While all three words mean "being at right angles to a base line," plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

make sure that the wall is plumb

When might perpendicular be a better fit than plumb?

Although the words perpendicular and plumb have much in common, perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one.

the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts

In what contexts can vertical take the place of plumb?

In some situations, the words vertical and plumb are roughly equivalent. However, vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

the side of the cliff is almost vertical

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 plumb
Adjective
In My Mother and Eye, 2025, a sweeping Public Art Fund project installed in bus shelters across New York City, Boston, and Chicago, eleven discrete photographic collages plumb this intangible meeting point. Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025 Artists were enlisted to plumb surreality and to popularize it. Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
Much as Wes Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos have plumbed Dafoe’s deliciously wicked sense of humor in pieces that straddle the line between the real and the archly stylized, Solnicki understands that a strong Dafoe performance must always teeter between the two. Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025 With her steadfast vision and the solid craftsmanship of the clothes, Trotter plumbs still waters to conjure a universe in which control and release coexist. Vogue, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plumb
Adjective
  • Foden has improved the defensive side of his game to the point that Guardiola trusts him to play a more complete role in the centre of the pitch, but going with such a fluid line-up does risk exposing City on the counter.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • And no list of holiday musts is complete without Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, one of the earliest creations of the beloved production company.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) provides thrust vectoring capability for X-BAT’s vertical takeoff and landing maneuverability.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Located in its app, the Watch tab now features a feed of vertical video stories, though they are editorially curated rather than algorithmically fed, at least for now.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • On Cebu, the rugged terrain funnelled water straight into communities that lack sufficient drainage.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Which casts a show seemingly designed to bypass all judgments with respect to storytelling and taste, gliding straight to the pleasure center of some imaginary horny, enraged, shopaholic feminine id, in a fairly sinister light.
    Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • Obviously, injuries are playing a major factor, but will the Sabres even be able to stay afloat until the lineup is fully healthy?
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Hours later, an appeals court let the ruling to fully fund SNAP stand.
    NEAL RUBIN, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • During cross-examination, he was upbraided for long answers that did not immediately answer the question he had been asked.
    Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • More information about the accident wasn’t immediately available.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The idea worked on paper, but in practice, the alignment was extremely delicate, and the overall setup became unstable and hard to scale.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
  • That price is set to scale down to $250 over the next two years for people paying completely out-of-pocket with no insurance.
    Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Much will soon be made of the movie’s epic, final-act twist, but despite such swerves, the film maintains its utter ambiguity to the end, giving heart to the lostness that so many across ideological spectrums now feel.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
  • His extraordinary journey from utter isolation to human connection is revealed in the Oscar-contending documentary Ghost Boy, directed by Rodney Ascher (Room 237, A Glitch in the Matrix), winner of the Audience Award at SXSW in the Visions category.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • People erect and decorate ofrendas (offerings) with pictures and mementos of loved ones.
    Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Many use social media to call for an end to the violence, then erect memorials at the site of the shooting.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plumb. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.

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