1
as in subtropical
being near the equator
wanted to escape winter and visit some tropical location where freezing to death would not be a possibility
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in metaphorical
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another
an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tropical
Forecasters expect tropical-storm-force winds, sustained at 40 miles per hour, and gusts above 45 mph to develop by Sunday afternoon in the Bahamas and spread to Florida’s east coast by Monday.
—
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Forecasters upgraded the strengthening tropical depression to Tropical Storm Imelda on Sunday afternoon.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
Imelda was previously forecasted as a tropical depression but has since gained strength.
—Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Disturbances in the Atlantic Basin could soon form into tropical systems.
—Daniel Peck, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tropical
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Forecasters upgraded the strengthening tropical depression to Tropical Storm Imelda on Sunday afternoon.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
Imelda was previously forecasted as a tropical depression but has since gained strength.
—Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Disturbances in the Atlantic Basin could soon form into tropical systems.
—Daniel Peck, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tropical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropical
Adjective
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After the last row of strip malls and subdivisions, the Everglades took over, in a vast, hot expanse of subtropical wetland.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Somewhere between a sweater and a scarf, a cape is a breezy and versatile piece ideally suited to the volatile forecasts of the city’s humid subtropical climate.—
Abbey Hudetz,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At that moment, the sun would be shining directly overhead as seen from a point in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, 1,320 miles (2,124 km) south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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With an equatorial diameter of about 74,897 miles, Saturn is nine times wider than Earth.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yet if Love’s last pass had stayed in the air a tick longer, the owner’s feet, at least in a metaphorical sense, may not have touched the ground for a long, long time.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Each of the three biographies—any good biography—vibrates with the intensity of its author’s possession by their subject and the thrill of exhumation, if only metaphoric.—
Megan Marshall
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The exhibit features recent portraits and figurative paintings that explore nostalgia, sexuality and companionship.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Sep. 2025
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On November 2, 2025, the Baltimore Museum of Art will open the mid-career survey capturing the power and poignancy of Sherald’s artistry, tracing her ascendance to the most influential figurative painter of our time.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The figural birds are crafted in platinum and 18-karat gold with gemstones — appearing to perch upon the wearer.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
2 Sep. 2025
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As we are never returned to any figural baseline, our eyes are increasingly ungrounded.—
Jan Tumlir,
Artforum,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After all, exits and grand finales are part and parcel with any theater and therefore any showgirl's life, and could be purely symbolic in nature.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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No visual or symbolic vocabulary ever develops.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropical. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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