as in curves
something that curves or is curved
the stars seemed to align themselves into one vast glittering arc
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in sweeps
to turn away from a straight line or course
the ball arced toward the batter and nearly hit him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 arcs
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
1 July 2026
Gold chrome arcs give structure to this airy blend of purple and orange airbrushing.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
The visual intersperses footage from a trip the pair took to Iceland with clips of their Upstate New York home, a fitting backdrop to Sprague’s spectral vocals and wandering synth arcs.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 June 2026
Sports needs villains, favorites, redemption arcs and players who generate conversations in living rooms, bars and on social media.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Her performance as a woman driven to her breaking point who claws back her freedom helped create one of TV’s most powerful arcs.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 June 2026
This means that dangerous electrical arcs may persist for extended periods, and therefore increase the risk of wildfires.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
And, most importantly, all this progression is occurring at a rapid clip, with full arcs tidily wrapped up in the four (of eight) episodes provided for review and characters’ hidden motivations revealed deliberately and steadily.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Streaming shows — with their more leisurely pace and longer arcs — have simply been able to come by and iterate.
—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Dan Gelston,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Overhead looms The Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below.
—
ABC News,
11 June 2026
This time, the path of totality begins in Siberia, crosses eastern Greenland and western Iceland, then arcs across northern Spain, before ending in the Mediterranean.
—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
Levy arcs his character’s growing exasperation in a way that’s funny, if somewhat limited.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
In doing so, the memoir arcs outward, moving from a personal reckoning with gender towards an open-ended, existential understanding for readers to grasp on their own.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Salah arcs his run to shut off the pass from centre-back Josko Gvardiol to left-back Nico O’Reilly.
—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
Richard Gabriel Moritz | Unsplash Many readers will know this coastline—which arcs its way from the French border in the west to Tuscany in the east, via the ancient port city of Genoa—for the five absurdly picturesque villages of the Cinque Terre.
—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Music, in fact, punctuates the intense dramatic story arcs in Wilde’s third directorial feature, an Edward Albee-like relationship dramedy set around a frisky dinner get-together between two couples in a San Francisco apartment building.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
1 July 2026
Gold chrome arcs give structure to this airy blend of purple and orange airbrushing.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
The visual intersperses footage from a trip the pair took to Iceland with clips of their Upstate New York home, a fitting backdrop to Sprague’s spectral vocals and wandering synth arcs.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 June 2026
Sports needs villains, favorites, redemption arcs and players who generate conversations in living rooms, bars and on social media.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Her performance as a woman driven to her breaking point who claws back her freedom helped create one of TV’s most powerful arcs.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 June 2026
This means that dangerous electrical arcs may persist for extended periods, and therefore increase the risk of wildfires.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
And, most importantly, all this progression is occurring at a rapid clip, with full arcs tidily wrapped up in the four (of eight) episodes provided for review and characters’ hidden motivations revealed deliberately and steadily.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Streaming shows — with their more leisurely pace and longer arcs — have simply been able to come by and iterate.
—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Verb
The White House had to make room for the Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below.
—
Dan Gelston,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Overhead looms The Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below.
—
ABC News,
11 June 2026
This time, the path of totality begins in Siberia, crosses eastern Greenland and western Iceland, then arcs across northern Spain, before ending in the Mediterranean.
—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
Levy arcs his character’s growing exasperation in a way that’s funny, if somewhat limited.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
In doing so, the memoir arcs outward, moving from a personal reckoning with gender towards an open-ended, existential understanding for readers to grasp on their own.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Salah arcs his run to shut off the pass from centre-back Josko Gvardiol to left-back Nico O’Reilly.
—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
Richard Gabriel Moritz | Unsplash Many readers will know this coastline—which arcs its way from the French border in the west to Tuscany in the east, via the ancient port city of Genoa—for the five absurdly picturesque villages of the Cinque Terre.
—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcs
Noun
-
Still, Dennis’ shot made goalies find or rediscover religion, especially during the early days of unregulated stick curves.
-
The original Östereichring was a spectacular thing, with steep gradients, long straights, and high-speed curves, surrounded by views of the Styrian mountains.
Noun
-
There are hardly any flat architectural surfaces, and NAUSICAÄ is shaped by curvatures and louvred details.
-
Its outstanding appeal, grandish curvatures and extraordinary interior design are just the norm for the upscale interior brand.
Noun
-
Aging athletes talk all the time about that sense of being tested, of being seen from all angles.
-
Though some of these screens display different video works, while others form The Late, all seem to tell pieces of the same story, albeit at different times and from different angles.
Noun
-
Despite Iran’s threats, 20 of those ships had taken a route far south of Iran that hugs the coastline of the United Arab Emirates and bends along Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, avoiding Iranian waters.
-
Follow with 5–10 side bends per side, reaching toward your knee while keeping your movements slow and controlled.
Noun
-
While rain coverage is expected to remain limited, any storms that develop could produce gusty winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall.
-
Local Idaho agencies have spent days addressing storm damage caused by a low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska that brought winds over 50 mph, lightning, hail and more than an inch of rain to some areas.
Cite this Entry
“Arcs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcs. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
