plumbs

present tense third-person singular of plumb
as in spans
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

Relevance

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 plumbs Ophelia’s Got Talent plumbs the depths of the nineteenth-century cult of Ophelia, epitomized in John Everett Millais’s famous painting of her watery death. Caroline Lillian Schopp, Artforum, 13 May 2026 As Latifi plumbs the industry, what stands out is just how manufactured this content is, and how often the children are being manipulated to perform. Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026 Maurizio Cattelan, who also wielded a banana with profound memetic effectiveness, is one of the few other artists whose work has this kind of stickiness, but his recent sculptures have leaned more on the public’s appetite for stunts, whereas Rødland plumbs more mysterious depths. Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026 This documentary plumbs the issue in a personal, entertaining and thought-provoking way. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026 This historical novel with relevance for today plumbs the depths of extremism. Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plumbs
Verb
  • The ranch spans about 245 acres and sits at the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 84, with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
    Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The assessed valuation for the site, which spans a full city block in Berkeley, was $27 million as of January 2026.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • High-speed charging serves as a pivotal selling point for Hongqi as the brand scales its global footprint across Europe and the Middle East to take on traditional legacy automakers.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
  • When planning is coordinated, investment becomes more efficient, projects move faster and innovation scales more quickly.
    Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plumbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plumbs. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on plumbs

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