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
On a brighter note, with Mercury and Mars in your sign, your words and mind are especially sharp, evoking passion and a desire to plumb beneath the surface of your exchanges. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025 For nearly five decades, NASA's twin Voyager probes have plumbed the cosmos in search of answers to some of astronomy's most perplexing mysteries about our solar system and its place in the wider universe. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plumb
Adjective
  • What is surprising is the utter rationalism of her response.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Rather, her photos, documents and collages point to the extreme paucity of surviving evidence and the utter impossibility of a cohesive, factual narrative.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At the neckline of Washington’s frock, a white shirt with a coordinated navy and black pinstripe tie featured, with a clip in gold and the red, white and blue vertical stripe motif synonymous with Browne’s eponymous brand.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • GammaTime launched this month on iOS and Android devices with more than 20 Hollywood-caliber vertical originals spanning suspense thriller, romantic melodramas and true crime.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Subscribe to our free newsletter to get your unique weekly horoscope delivered straight to your inbox.
    Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • To buy the Eight Sleep is to buy fully, with your whole body, into the idea that the future of sleep is technological.
    Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Quadcopter and multirotor drones Draganfly develops quadcopter and multirotor drones that are easy to use, quick to deploy, and fully calibrated at the company’s manufacturing facilities.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • The magnitude of the attack and the extent of its damage was not immediately known.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Fortune has chronicled the growing pressure on companies to either scale back or quietly rebrand DEI programs amid shifting political and cultural winds.
    Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
  • In their new roles, Bakx and Rotter will lead 885’s sports investment portfolio—encompassing Baller League, Blue Crow Sports Group and the Professional Fighters League—and help identify and scale new investment opportunities across the wider sports ecosystem.
    Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Yamamoto is also the first pitcher since Curt Schilling to throw consecutive complete games in a postseason.
    Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
  • But perhaps one of the most complete.
    Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 25 Oct. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plumb. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on plumb

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!