as in serialized
appearing in parts or numbers that follow regularly
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" first appeared as a serial novel from 1851 to 1852
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as in periodical
a publication that appears at regular intervals
the university library has a vast collection of serials
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of serial
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 28 May 2025
Shortly after, investigators learned that Baumeister was likely one of the most prolific serial killers in Indiana state history.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 24 May 2025
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Feb. 2025
The soap opera is a genre older than the invention of the television, dating all the way back to radio serials of the early 20th century.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serial
Adjective
Smoke follows a detective (Jurnee Smollett) and an arson investigator (Taron Egerton) who are trying to catch a pair of serial arsonists wreaking fiery havoc across the Pacific Northwest.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 28 May 2025
Shortly after, investigators learned that Baumeister was likely one of the most prolific serial killers in Indiana state history.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 24 May 2025
Noun
This included a wide range of stories, from Westerns and detective drama to monster films, character serials or melodramas.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Feb. 2025
The soap opera is a genre older than the invention of the television, dating all the way back to radio serials of the early 20th century.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serial
Noun
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The newspapers and higher education periodicals are fixated on the current conflict between President Trump and some universities, most notably the escalating fight between the administration and Harvard.—
Jeffrey Herbst,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
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Four types of green flashes are recorded in the Farmer’s Almanac, which the American periodical describes as inferior mirage, mock mirage, subduct flashes, and green ray.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Discover Magazine,
28 May 2025
Noun
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As for her Hugo Boss floral dress, Queen Letizia previously stepped out in the frock to meet with representatives from the newspaper La Razón at Zarzuela Palace.—
FN Staff,
Footwear News,
1 June 2025
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Abe, a writer for Japan’s Chunichi Sports newspaper, was followed into the concourse of Dodger Stadium’s suite level by four other reporters from his country.—
Dylan Hernández,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
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The findings were published Wednesday, May 28, in the journal Nature.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
31 May 2025
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No one knows exactly how much is left, but the study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, shows an alarming rate of withdrawal of a vital water source for a region that could also see its supply of Colorado River water shrink.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Vandersloot, 36, was a fixture in the Sky’s history books long before the game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2025
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The entertaining and gardening expert celebrated her 101st book, Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook, with a visit to a botanical garden in The Bronx.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Southern Living magazine said its readers voted The Crab Trap as the No. 1 seafood joint in the South, McClatchy News reported in April.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
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Roberts, who often looked to me like an English schoolboy—rumpled shirt, rep tie—had worked with Tina to transform the British magazine Tatler from a staid society rag into a place of mischief.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serial. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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