plumb 1 of 3

Definition of plumbnext

plumb

2 of 3

adverb

1
as in straight
in a direct line or course I can't believe he walked plumb into the tree, without even seeing it!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

plumb

3 of 3

verb

as in to scale
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line plumbed the bay to make sure it was deep enough for the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective plumb differ from other similar words?

The words perpendicular and vertical are common synonyms of plumb. While all three words mean "being at right angles to a base line," plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

make sure that the wall is plumb

When might perpendicular be a better fit than plumb?

Although the words perpendicular and plumb have much in common, perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one.

the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts

In what contexts can vertical take the place of plumb?

In some situations, the words vertical and plumb are roughly equivalent. However, vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

the side of the cliff is almost vertical

How does the adjective plumb differ from other similar words?

The words perpendicular and vertical are common synonyms of plumb. While all three words mean "being at right angles to a base line," plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

make sure that the wall is plumb

When might perpendicular be a better fit than plumb?

Although the words perpendicular and plumb have much in common, perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one.

the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts

In what contexts can vertical take the place of plumb?

In some situations, the words vertical and plumb are roughly equivalent. However, vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

the side of the cliff is almost vertical

How does the adjective plumb differ from other similar words?

The words perpendicular and vertical are common synonyms of plumb. While all three words mean "being at right angles to a base line," plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

make sure that the wall is plumb

When might perpendicular be a better fit than plumb?

Although the words perpendicular and plumb have much in common, perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one.

the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts

In what contexts can vertical take the place of plumb?

In some situations, the words vertical and plumb are roughly equivalent. However, vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

the side of the cliff is almost vertical

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 plumb
Adjective
On Tuesday morning, the parking lot and the gravel road near the Oglala Commodity Warehouse in Pine Ridge was plumb-full of pick-up trucks and cars. Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025 In My Mother and Eye, 2025, a sweeping Public Art Fund project installed in bus shelters across New York City, Boston, and Chicago, eleven discrete photographic collages plumb this intangible meeting point. Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Verb
Do not perform plumbing work on a radiator unless the boiler system has been shut down. Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026 At one station, three apprentices showed the congresswoman paper sketches of plumbing construction designs. CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plumb
Adjective
  • Perhaps no other museum cafe in the city is more beloved than the Neue Galerie's Café Sabarsky, a Viennese cafe that seems to transport guests to Austria, circa 1910, complete with lighting fixtures by Josef Hoffmann, furniture by Adolf Loos, and banquettes upholstered with Otto Wagner fabric.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • His metamorphosis into social scientist-cum-sage appears to be complete.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Beyond the unit itself, The Avery markets a full-service lifestyle — more of a vertical resort than traditional condo building — where the amenities are part of the pitch.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • His most successful offenses in Baltimore were built around one of the most dynamic, dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, Lamar Jackson, who could toggle between power run concepts, RPO-heavy designs, and vertical play-action shots.
    Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • For another side of the city's history, head straight to the Hotel Chelsea.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski each scored 26 points for the Jazz, who lost their fifth in a row, seventh straight on the road and 10th of their last 11 overall.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • When firefighters arrived, the back of the bus was fully engulfed in flames.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Toyota's decision to electrify the Highlander, but not the Grand Highlander, comes as environmental groups have criticized the world's largest automaker for being late to converting to producing fully electric vehicles.
    Keith Laing, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Charges against him related to the shooting were not immediately filed, and his name was not released.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Ames had her home tested after that, and those results confirmed the house had mold − with high enough levels in the air alone that experts told the Ames family to leave their home immediately.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Vietnamese airlines are planning to significantly reduce flights and scale back operations next month due to the high costs brought upon by the conflict, as well as potential jet fuel shortages.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • But Blumhouse has built a much bigger business scaling that sensibility into something arguably less prestigious but more commercially reliable.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • After letting the final Bosnian penalty slip under his reach on Tuesday, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remained on his knees, putting his hands on his head in utter disbelief.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.
    Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Lily stood erect and silent, waiting for her part in the hunt.
    Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The same rush to rename buildings, erect statues, hang massive banners of faces and publicly declare fealty to the leader in power is on display in North Korea, Cuba and the former Soviet Union.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plumb. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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