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
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Recent Examples of spines
Some have thorns or spines, others have poisonous leaves or berries, and still others have…elaborate chemical defense alarm systems?
—
Regina G. Barber, NPR, 3 June 2026
That should send chills down the spines of the 29 other front offices through the league.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
The fruit is typically oval or heart-shaped with a green peel and soft spines.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 28 May 2026
Between urchin spines, tiny crabs and juvenile abalone take shelter while hungry fish swirl past.
—Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
Only the books’ spines were visible.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
In this one, two Newark teenagers rub their naked spines together in an effort to cure a bad case of bacne while a wild pelican watches them from the corner of the room.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
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
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
Regina G. Barber, NPR, 3 June 2026
That should send chills down the spines of the 29 other front offices through the league.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
The fruit is typically oval or heart-shaped with a green peel and soft spines.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 28 May 2026
Between urchin spines, tiny crabs and juvenile abalone take shelter while hungry fish swirl past.
—Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
Only the books’ spines were visible.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
In this one, two Newark teenagers rub their naked spines together in an effort to cure a bad case of bacne while a wild pelican watches them from the corner of the room.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spines
Noun
-
Even when degraded, enzymes have stable backbones that might be capable of catalyzing reactions, said Sudha Rajamani, an astrobiologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune who wasn’t involved in the study.—
Siddhant Pusdekar,
Quanta Magazine,
1 June 2026
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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
Noun
-
That’s about $6,500 more than in 1999, when basketball didn’t require running backs.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2026
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Pine snakes can grow up to 56 inches in length, have black, brown, and russet scales with dark blotches along their backs, and are noted for having a pointed nose, which experts believe may help with burrowing.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spines. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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