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

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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 six-bedroom home spans 15,000 square feet over three floors.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 July 2026
  • The shop spans a large double storefront, and nearly every corner feels designed for a photo.
    Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Skeptics doubt the model scales to studio budgets, and some top creators are rejecting Hollywood deals entirely, choosing to release original work directly on YouTube.
    Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Companies with adaptive governance that scales with the business and supports decision making rather than slowing it are visibly more resilient when conditions tighten.
    Abdulrahman Hammad, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

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“Plumbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plumbs. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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