variants or sternwards
as in backwards
near, toward, or in the stern of a ship or the tail of an aircraft a flight attendant hurried sternward to attend to the disturbance

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sternward
Adverb
  • It was considered immoral to lie and the whole point of writing things down back then was to increase morality and improve society, so there really is no didactic history of forgery.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The team got its name following a fan vote resulting in more than 850,000 ballots back in May.
    Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Smith-Schuster tumbled backward to the ground, jumped up and went after Branch.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Worse, the organization’s evaluation and development seemed to take a step backward.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Also of note is the Dusk Bar, which sits aft on Deck 10 and is stocked with interesting spirits.
    David Swanson, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2024
  • Open exterior decks forward and aft allow for a steady sea breeze, as the owner—who was last aboard his yacht in the summer of 2021—used to regularly enjoy.
    Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2023
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Sternward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sternward. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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