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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Recent Examples of spines
Originally there were four different makes, from the same manufacturers as those LMDh spines—LMDh was developed from what was going to be the LMP2 replacement—but the Oreca 07 proved to be so much better than the other three that no one races a Ligier, Dallara, or Riley-Multimatic anymore.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
The pup had likely collided with a cholla, and its spines — barbed like fishhooks — were embedded across his face, legs, stomach and paws.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 10 June 2026
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
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
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
The pup had likely collided with a cholla, and its spines — barbed like fishhooks — were embedded across his face, legs, stomach and paws.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 10 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spines
Noun
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Data centers also need to be close enough to users and network backbones to provide fast digital services.—
Sven Bilén,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
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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
Noun
-
To have each other’s backs and support each other, no matter what.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
20 June 2026
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After breaking through at Brighton under the Italian in 2023, Van Hecke is considered among the best ball-playing centre-backs in the Premier League.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spines. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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