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spherical

adjective

ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
Definition of sphericalnext
as in circular
having every part of the surface the same distance from the center the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical

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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 spherical The modern, airy design pairs a spherical top with a rectangular base. — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026 For example, Galileo observed that the moon was not perfectly spherical in 1610, allowing for a more precise prediction of where the natural satellite’s shadow will fall during an eclipse. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 That’s because Sprenger got to use very special equipment — the Todd-AO 65mm spherical lenses, which haven’t been used since productions like Oklahoma! — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026 Eos, which dominated the 2010s with brightly colored spherical balms, entered the gloss-balm hybrid space last month with Dewy Lip Shine. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spherical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spherical
  1. circular
  2. cylindrical
  3. curved
  4. globular
  5. round
Adjective
  • Men and boys fulfilled traditional roles around a large circular drum, beating it rhythmically.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Arc’teryx is putting a $1,200 price tag on its first attempt at a circular hardshell.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of circular
Adjective
  • Take the cylindrical glass elevators to the fourth-floor gallery space, or to the fifth floor that boasts incredible views of Los Angeles in addition to its gallery and event space.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Conventional silica fiber is usually cylindrical, a geometry that works particularly well for measuring forces acting along the fiber.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of cylindrical
Adjective
  • The curved trees were then placed on a horizontal rotating platform inside a sphere lit up from every direction.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The tight cropping in the monochrome nudes isolates slopes, folds, shadowed recesses and curved planes that hover between landscape and abstraction.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of curved
Adjective
  • The Hubble Space Telescope captured this twinkling image of NGC 6723, or the Chandelier Cluster, a globular star cluster located 27,000 light-years away in our Milky Way galaxy.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The pieces are abstract but appear to show featureless human figures sitting atop globular, cloud-like shapes that float in the air.
    — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Definition of globular
Adjective
  • The North Siders clubbed an all-time team record of nine home runs in a single game, routing their rival Milwaukee Brewers 17-3 at Wrigley Field − and ending August with 62 round-trippers for the month, another team record.
    — Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Zheng was the one in tears at the French Open, after losing her first round match to eventual finalist Maja Chwalińska, 6-4, 6-0.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of round

Browse Nearby Words

spheres
spherical
sphering
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Cite this Entry

“Spherical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spherical. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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