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 metaphoric
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tropical
The cycle swings between warmer and cooler seawater in a region along the equator in the tropical Pacific.
—
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Lean into the vacation mood with Johanna Ortiz’s tropical print pareo layered over a pair of relaxed Uniqlo trousers, styled with Banana Republic’s classic black blazer and a Leset V-neck tee.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 14 May 2026
With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Stronger El Niños often produce storm-killing conditions in the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic, resulting in fewer tropical storms and hurricanes there.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tropical
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Lean into the vacation mood with Johanna Ortiz’s tropical print pareo layered over a pair of relaxed Uniqlo trousers, styled with Banana Republic’s classic black blazer and a Leset V-neck tee.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 14 May 2026
With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Stronger El Niños often produce storm-killing conditions in the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic, resulting in fewer tropical storms and hurricanes there.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tropical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropical
Adjective
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Hantavirus in Argentina usually develops in rural and peri-urban areas, in the presence of crops, tall weeds, humidity, or a subtropical climate.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
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For example, through studying the Denver Pollen Collection, researchers discovered that the North Slope of Alaska had a temperate to subtropical climate about 50 to 56 million years ago that allowed palm trees to grow north of the Arctic Circle.—
Ingrid C. Romero,
The Conversation,
5 May 2026
Adjective
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The water is colored by the tamarack tree, kind of a root-beer color, which is a beautiful balance to all the greens — and just the metaphorical symbolic significance of it is really profound.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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The strange, perfect irony of Prada 2 What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 genuinely unusual is that the film itself is a critique of the very promise that made the original aspirational, not just a bitter statement on the current media zeitgeist but a metaphorical meditation on Hollywood’s fate.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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El Niño is a naturally occurring weather cycle that occurs when trade winds over the Pacific weaken, causing warm water to pile up along the Pacific coast of equatorial South America.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
16 May 2026
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This year, the presence of an emerging El Niño and its associated warmer equatorial waters could mean a more active Eastern Pacific basin season.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Another superb show featured Matthew Wong, a painter of intimate, hauntingly lovely figurative works inspired by van Gogh and Matisse.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
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Monguidi’s second task was to cut the figurative ribbon on Rimowa’s newest flagship store in Cologne, the city where its beloved aluminum suitcases are made.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The number distilled the North Beach revue (which closed New Year’s Eve 2019) famous for its oversized figural hats, musical parodies and fairy-tale characters into 11.5 minutes.—
Culture Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
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The holders come in a set of two, adorned with figural bunnies.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The summit did not happen, with Aoun saying a security deal needed to be in place and Israeli attacks needed to end before such a landmark symbolic meeting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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Advocates and some council members have expressed concerns that the new rules may be symbolic and unenforceable.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropical. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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