as in backbones
a column of bones supporting the trunk of a vertebrate animal
he hurt his spine in the accident, but the doctor says he'll be walking again in no time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spines
The songs’ spines are elastic, accommodating the acoustic, the electronic, the Caribbean, the bombastically orchestral, in arrangements that always seem fun for performers to brand with their likeness.
—
New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The video is backed by a booming soundtrack, composed by Pascal Wyse, largely using materials found in the desert such as saguaro spines.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
Norwegian Lundehunds have six fully functional toes, a neck that can bend backward to touch their spines, and ears that can fold shut to keep water out.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
The technology is engineered to keep customers' spines aligned.
—Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Most animal defenses, such as camouflage or spines, work broadly against many predator types.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
This includes shrimp shells, crab shells, eggshells, chicken bones, and fish spines.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
For a spruce-up dusting, use a brush with natural bristles to get into the crevices between the spines and on top of the books.
—Sunshine Flint, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Fragrances of flesh and fur and spines and rot reach him from a distance to engorge his nose.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The video is backed by a booming soundtrack, composed by Pascal Wyse, largely using materials found in the desert such as saguaro spines.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
Norwegian Lundehunds have six fully functional toes, a neck that can bend backward to touch their spines, and ears that can fold shut to keep water out.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
The technology is engineered to keep customers' spines aligned.
—Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Most animal defenses, such as camouflage or spines, work broadly against many predator types.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
This includes shrimp shells, crab shells, eggshells, chicken bones, and fish spines.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
For a spruce-up dusting, use a brush with natural bristles to get into the crevices between the spines and on top of the books.
—Sunshine Flint, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Fragrances of flesh and fur and spines and rot reach him from a distance to engorge his nose.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spines
Noun
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As songwriters, the Ottavianos usually only needed a metaphor, a single beautiful image, or a fun double entendre to serve as narrative backbones.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
26 Apr. 2026
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There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates — creatures without backbones — weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His three-man defence regularly featured two ball-playing centre-backs either side of a more physical one, but the team as a whole was asymmetrical.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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The bright spots Saturday, at least in the early stages, was the play of the Evans defense, new quarterback Will Jackson and transfer running backs O’Ryan Hartfield, from Ocoee, and Davion Williams, from Poinciana.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spines. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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