slopes 1 of 2

plural of slope
as in inclines
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the next stretch of the trail had a gentle slope which made it easier to climb

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slopes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of slope
as in tilts
to set or cause to be at an angle they sloped our new driveway too steeply and now my car scrapes bottom whenever I back out onto the street

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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 slopes
Noun
Off the slopes, Woolly’s Adventure Summit is a year-round, family-friendly base camp with thrilling activities such as a mountain coaster, zip lining, and tubing. Sharael Kolberg, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026 That's enough to loosen steep slopes where some of the 210,000 islanders live off the grid in improvised housing. ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Total rainfall of nearly 3 feet was expected on the higher windward slopes, turning rivers into raging torrents and threatening mudslides. Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 The eyewall was forecast to move over or near the island’s southern end by the evening, lashing its worst winds at volcanic slopes thousands of feet above sea level. Dennis Romero, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026 Hawaii’s intense topography can induce heavy localized flooding events as air is forced up the mountain slopes. Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026 The playground would have some downward slopes built in to create multiple levels, with grassy hills surrounding at least two tiers of flooring designed for soft outdoor play. Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 For shady slopes, this evergreen, herbaceous perennial with striking yellow blooms makes excellent groundcover under trees. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026 The village sits on the slopes of Mount Meroviglia, on the island’s west side, close enough to Kardiani to pair the two in one drive. Monica Mendal, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
In rivers and streams in Virginia and Maryland, Hack measured the length of each stream and the area of the land that slopes toward that stream and therefore drains into it, called its basin or drainage area. Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 Depending on the excursion’s stops, snorkelers might float above patch reefs or explore the channels between spur-and-groove coral formations as the reef slopes into deeper water. Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 Because its site slopes steeply, the house has upstairs and downstairs entrances. Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026 One of my favorite choices is developing a dry creek bed that slopes away from a home's foundation. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 June 2026 Safer travel can be found on lower-angle terrain, generally slopes less than 30 degrees, particularly in areas sheltered from the wind. Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026 Sunrise Park Resort The ski resort in the White Mountains has snow tubing, cross-country skiing and snow biking as well as downhill slopes for skiing and snowboarding. Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 19 Feb. 2026 Low fence markers can be seen outlining the building zone along Route 2, which slopes along open land, wooded patches and some ravines. Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026 The road, lined with two-story homes on each side, slopes down a gradual hill. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slopes
Noun
  • Cows amble in the distance along the inclines of meadows; their grazing helps control invasive plants.
    Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Bert McCarty, a Clemson University professor of turfgrass science and management, said golfers like how top courses are so different — from incorporating the ocean in places near beaches to relying on inclines in the mountains.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This piece then dramatically tilts down joining the rest of the track before the ride car rockets down the vertical drop.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Simashev is excellent defensively and on retrievals and tilts the ice in his favor.
    Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Putin will eventually leave office, whether by death, illness, or—against all observable inclinations—stepping aside.
    Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • People with gene variants that affect these inclinations may also be at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, researchers found.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 28 July 2026
Verb
  • Outdoor curtains lend some privacy while providing a bit of shade when the sun angles in at sunrise and sunset.
    Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026
  • Moon angles her chin and the light dims in her eyes.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Engineers maintained extremely gentle gradients across long distances while using tunnels, channels, and arched bridges to cross uneven terrain.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • These thermal gradients generate stresses that may crack or spall – chip or flake off – the outer surface, but the heat often does not penetrate deeply enough to compromise the structural core.
    Giorgia Giardina, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The market treats each shock as the one that finally tips the consumer over, and the consumer, so far, keeps declining the invitation.
    Nigel Morris, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The interior, meanwhile, tips a hat to Hermès, with pops of the French fashion house’s famous orange playing against an otherwise very subtle palette.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slopes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slopes. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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