1
as in ball
a more or less round body or mass
this sphere that we live on is just a tiny speck in the universe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in area
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
higher mathematics is a little outside my sphere
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in galaxy
a ball-shaped gaseous celestial body that shines by its own light
perhaps there is indeed life on planets circling spheres in galaxies far, far away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sphere
Tim Folger, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
The Echo Spot shaves it down even further to a half-sphere and adds a handy little touch screen for visual information.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Oct. 2022
And young people are innovating outside that sphere as well, including Southern-gothic singer-songwriter Ethel Cain and art-rockers Geese.
—Vulture, 6 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for sphere
Noun
In the late 19th century Ludwig Boltzmann modeled [gas molecules] as little billiard balls—little hard spheres that are bouncing around.
—Tim Folger, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
The Echo Spot shaves it down even further to a half-sphere and adds a handy little touch screen for visual information.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte came out in 2003, and by the late 2000s, the fall trend had trickled from the novelty coffee drinks sphere into the beer world.
—Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Oct. 2022
And young people are innovating outside that sphere as well, including Southern-gothic singer-songwriter Ethel Cain and art-rockers Geese.
—Vulture, 6 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for sphere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sphere
Noun
-
The Gators spend hours practicing how players should locate themselves relative to the basket and the opponent when the ball is in the air.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
After Hall converted a loose ball off a Kahlina miscue in the 81st — the goalkeeper’s one blemish in an otherwise commanding night — Goodwin settled things with a second goal in stoppage time.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cal Fire law enforcement officers arrested a Modesto man accused of starting a 2-acre wildfire early Friday in El Dorado County after he was found near the fire area the following day.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The area is edged by a sea-facing main road that glitters at night with expensive gyms, coffee shops and bars.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Out there, among the stars, galaxies, and beyond, lie solutions to the greatest mysteries of all.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Mar. 2026
-
While the morning encourages bouncing around like that, a harmonious lunar trine to transformative Pluto later switches the galaxy’s focus to deeper questions.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To round out the Mary Kay sensibility—beauty without eros—big earners received diamond bumblebee pins, golden goblets, and birthstone rings.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Burger King and Wendy's rounded out the top five with their standard single-patty cheeseburgers.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But his distinctive tattoos and fashion sense helped investigators find him — notably, his sweatshirt, his bronze foamposite sneakers, a large gold ring on his left hand and a distinctive tattoo of a globe on his left arm.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Last but not least, spruce up your outdoor space with this charming watering can light, globe lights, and these $20 hanging lanterns.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In their own realms, General Relativity and the Standard Model can each lay claim to be the most successful physics theory of all-time.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Mar. 2026
-
However, this apprehension is balanced by an awareness that the internet could bring practical benefits, including those in the realms of commerce, medicine and education.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Republicans will be looking to help Collins in an election year, Shaheen is making a big legacy play in her last year in office, Warnock is a rising Democratic star, and Kennedy brings some heft from the right to the table.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
By the nineteen-eighties, she was basically finished as a movie star.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Out there, the planetesimals are too sparse and move too slowly to find one another often, and therefore most have never agglomerated into planets.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
19 Feb. 2026
-
This theory makes definite predictions about the distribution of dark matter, but leaves great uncertainty in the rather messy physics whereby gas agglomerates and converts into stars.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Sphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sphere. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
