Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective supple contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of supple are elastic, flexible, resilient, and springy. While all these words mean "able to endure strain without being permanently injured," supple applies to something that can be readily bent, twisted, or folded without any sign of injury.

supple leather

When is elastic a more appropriate choice than supple?

The words elastic and supple are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elastic implies the property of resisting deformation by stretching.

an elastic waistband

When is it sensible to use flexible instead of supple?

While the synonyms flexible and supple are close in meaning, flexible applies to something which may or may not be resilient or elastic but which can be bent or folded without breaking.

flexible plastic tubing

Where would resilient be a reasonable alternative to supple?

While in some cases nearly identical to supple, resilient implies the ability to recover shape quickly when the deforming force or pressure is removed.

a resilient innersole

When can springy be used instead of supple?

The meanings of springy and supple largely overlap; however, springy stresses both the ease with which something yields to pressure and the quickness of its return to original shape.

the cake is done when the top is springy

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 supple Cantina Tramin - Alto Adige is known for its cooperative wineries where dozens or even hundreds of local farmers supple grapes to the company; these growers are also winery members. Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 In addition to their individual benefits, these ingredients work together to boost the efficacy of other products in your routine and leave skin soft, supple, and radiant. Deanna Pai, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2025 New & Noteworthy The Olay Summer Fizz Body Wash Collection is formulated with nourishing ingredients like niacinamide, pro-glycerin, lipids and a hyaluronic serum complex to deeply hydrate dry, thirsty skin to become visibly supple and dewy. Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025 Sheila Jordan, whose cool and supple voice carried her name through decades of jazz recordings, performance and education, died Monday in New York, her family confirms to Variety. Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for supple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supple
Adjective
  • Strategies will remain flexible to adjust to changing fire behavior, terrain, and resource availability.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • By learning from nature’s most flexible swimmer, the octopus, researchers hope to overcome these challenges and make underwater machines more capable, adaptable, and sustainable.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Triumph loose fit jeans are made with stretch denim.
    may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Mark Ix, Advance Denim’s director of North American marketing, said Infinity enables a new level of stretch performance with exceptional yields and comfort.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This led Liu to wonder if these pliant electronics might keep up with the mutable nature of embryonic brains.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 11 June 2025
  • Japan hasn’t been as pliant as Trump seemed to expect.
    William Pesek, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • An in-person visit with the singer was leaked on social media in January 2024 where the pair shared an intimate moment through a plastic divider.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Each cell had two toilets and two small tanks of water, for washing and drinking; each man was given a plastic cup and a quarter of a bar of soap.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Two ultra-limber actors — Hassiem Muhammad and Ryan Sellers — in garish body makeup (and dance shoes) merge limbs and psyches for an electric demonstration of poetry in motion.
    Peter Marks, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2023
  • For thousands of years, people have turned to yoga to feel more limber, release stress and rejuvenate their overall physical and mental health.
    Forrest Brown, CNN, 21 June 2022
Adjective
  • But New Orleans is more than resilient.
    Essence, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
  • This beautiful flight attendant is resilient, hardworking, and looking for her soulmate.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This actually perfect pie crust is very, very pliable.
    Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This causes the eardrum, a thin, pliable membrane, to stretch.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Made with an elastic waistband and an easy slip-on design (no buttons, no problem), these travel pants are ideal for both the plane and the office.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • This style is similar to Vivaia’s with its lace-up closure and elastic backing that forms to your heel.
    Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Supple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supple. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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