variants or sternwards
as in backward
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
  • Suarez, who watched the game from the stands, was suspended for an incident involving Nashville defender Andy Najar in Game 2 of the series when Suarez kicked his right leg backwards into Najar’s midsection.
    Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Now, industry eyerolling at the thought of listening faster has existed since the majority of audio storytelling moved from terrestrial radio—where there’s no skipping, scrubbing forward or backward, and certainly no way to speed things up—to podcasting.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • No team recovered more points (23) after going behind than Liverpool last season, as Slot showed his prowess with clever tweaks and alterations.
    The Athletic's Liverpool staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
  • When Susana’s fading mind begins to fold past and present into one, the film becomes a meditation on time and the traces family stories leave behind.
    Essie Assibu, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • Union Square, which was to be my neighborhood for the next twenty-five years, was off limits after dark back then.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • In a live video, Khan indicated that there is a rich history with the National Championship, extending back to the days of Georgia Wrestling, which Schiavone was associated with.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2025.

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