structure 1 of 2

1
as in building
something built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity the only structure on the island is an old Spanish fort—or what's left of it

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2
as in construction
something put together by arranging or connecting an array of parts the Egyptian pyramids are among the most remarkable structures ever built

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3
as in framework
the arrangement of parts that gives something its basic form the basic structure of all those tract houses is the same: basically, a box

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structure

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of structure
Noun
In hiring Counsell away from his hometown team and firing David Ross, the Cubs were not necessarily getting an analytics whiz to update their R&D models, structure the lineup and push bullpen buttons. Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 Because most of us, for better and for worse, reflect the systems which structure the logics of our lives. David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
The assessment identified at least 17,734 structures that have been destroyed, about 43% of the total number of structures damaged. Diaa Ostaz, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025 In Pecos, a West Texas oil-field town dotted with man camps, equipment yards, and the occasional roofless adobe structure melting into the scrub, packs of stray dogs congregated by the gas stations and the elementary schools. Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for structure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for structure
Noun
  • Tom Grogan’s first job paid him just £30 ($40) a day lugging bricks and hauling cement on a Birmingham building site.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
  • If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Wall construction has started, beginning at the exit 36 bridge.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The co-axial construction means the hands literally pass beneath the tourbillon cage, creating another cool effect on the wrist.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Develop a collaborative group presentation that proposes alternative language and frameworks for understanding historical illness.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
  • After painstaking efforts, Witkoff and Kushner emerged with the framework of an accord that promises, at least for now, to quiet one of the world's most destabilizing conflicts.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • SpaceX’s luck appears to be turning, as the company notched a second straight successful test flight of the Starship launch system — the most powerful rocket ever constructed — on Monday evening.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Exercises focused on how to find and purify water, fish and hunt for animals, forage for edible plants, find dry wood to build a fire and construct palm leaf-sapling lean-to shelters.
    Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This is also a great time to marvel at other examples of the city’s architecture, like the Catedral de Mallorca, a cathedral towering over the city skyline and the Llotja de Palma, a 15th-century Gothic guildhall that frequently hosts art exhibitions.
    Emilio Parra Doiztua, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The La Jolla Historical Society’s Jewel Awards are continuing to evolve with new ways to recognize the different local efforts to retain historic architecture and sites.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Shon and his collaborators, including Ruozhu Feng and Wei Wang, built their prototype with carbon electrodes.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Nearly every duke and earl and baron in England was competing to build great rare book collections, and lots and lots of fake manuscripts emerged.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Zelenskyy has made clear his chief aim is to secure better defenses for Ukraine amid Russia’s constant aerial bombardments of civilian targets like cities, energy infrastructure and hospitals, and his big-ticket item is the American Tomahawk missile.
    Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Signature Aviation, acquired several years ago by Cascade Investment (Bill Gates’ investment arm), the Blackstone Group and Global Infrastructure Partners, has invested many millions into infrastructure, with 80 ongoing projects across its global network.
    Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), the fourth-largest party in the Lower House, ruled out forming a new coalition with the LDP.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
  • To find Andromeda, locate the constellation Cassiopeia, which forms a prominent 'M' shape high in the northern sky.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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