1
a
: any of various strong adhesive substances
especially
: a hard protein chiefly gelatinous substance that absorbs water to form a viscous solution with strong adhesive properties and that is obtained by cooking down collagenous materials (such as hides or bones)
b
: a solution of glue used for sticking things together
2
: something that binds together
enough social glue … to satisfy the human desire for community—
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
glued; gluing also glueing
1
: to cause to stick tightly with or as if with glue
gluing the parts together
used that war to glue together a frail story—Gloria Emerson
Gloria Emerson2
: to cause to remain continuously or to be fixed steadily
—usually used with to
the spectators were glued to their seats
all eyes glued to the TV screen
Synonyms
Examples of glue in a Sentence
Noun
The hardware store offers several different glues.
used glue to stick the photo in the album
Verb
I glued the pieces of the cup back together.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Equally, ignoring the barriers imposed historically and currently against many of our fellow humans will not only impact thousands of careers but will have a regressive effect on our abilities to work together and develop an essential glue of civil society, empathy.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025
Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2025
Photo: Meredith Hellman A wedding ring, a blanket, and a photo of her late father
Meredith spent most of January 7 glued to the TV watching the Palisades Fire unfold.
—Marianne Eloise, Architectural Digest, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for glue 
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.
Noun
However, as puzzles (and accessories like mats, glue, and sorting trays) accumulate, finding a way to store them can feel like solving a puzzle in itself.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Equally, ignoring the barriers imposed historically and currently against many of our fellow humans will not only impact thousands of careers but will have a regressive effect on our abilities to work together and develop an essential glue of civil society, empathy.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
There today, here tomorrow America’s European and Asian allies may well have been glued to financial markets Monday, with the Trump administration’s tariffs having already stung the value of Mexican and Canadian assets.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2025
Photo: Meredith Hellman A wedding ring, a blanket, and a photo of her late father
Meredith spent most of January 7 glued to the TV watching the Palisades Fire unfold.
—Marianne Eloise, Architectural Digest, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for glue
Dictionary Entries Near glue
Cite this Entry
“Glue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glue. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share