STERNWARDS Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

sternward

adverb

ˈstərn-wərd

variants or sternwards

Definition of sternward

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sternward

Adverb

Due to her injury, Rose was unable to complete the first task on Special Forces — falling out of a helicopter backwards and landing in a body of water — like the rest of her costars, opting to do the jump feet first.

— Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
Everything Tom Holland does in the upcoming Fred Astaire biopic, Sabrina Carpenter will have to do backwards and in heels.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of backward

Adverb

The less familiar story is what happens to the hardware along the way, and how SpaceX has changed systems that rockets usually leave behind or use only once.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
While canvassing the area with a real estate broker, Scotto learned that its tenant had fallen four months behind on rent.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of behind

Adverb

Tom Bezucha has returned to direct from his own script, with original producer Michael London back to produce alongside Shannon Gaulding for Groundswell Productions, along with Parker and Alison Benson for Pretty Matches Productions.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
The floated consideration of the legislation comes after Jeffries opposed an amendment to an annual foreign affairs spending bill that aimed to cut off aid to Israel back in July, a measure more than 100 Democrats supported.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of back

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
Bars and Restaurants The best seat in the house was aft, on the Lido deck, soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine with a flute of Champagne.

— Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023

Definition of aft

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.

Browse Nearby Words

sterns

sternward

Stetson

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sternward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sternward. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sternward

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fungible

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes