as in oval
a shape that resembles a flattened circle
The teacher drew an ellipse on the chalkboard that intended to illustrate the moon's orbit around the Earth.
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Recent Examples of ellipse
That's because all planets orbit the sun in a slight ellipse.
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
But the four-ellipse diagram doesn’t have rotational symmetry.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2025
All planets orbit stars in an ellipse.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Perihelion occurs because the Earth’s path around the sun is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse, whereby the distance between the planet and the sun changes during the year.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ellipse
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
But the four-ellipse diagram doesn’t have rotational symmetry.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2025
All planets orbit stars in an ellipse.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Perihelion occurs because the Earth’s path around the sun is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse, whereby the distance between the planet and the sun changes during the year.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ellipse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ellipse
Noun
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In the past few years, anything with a high price point that promises quality — a $759 Le Creuset cast iron oval casserole dish, or a $1,270 Acqua di Parma jumbo candle — can also be marketed as premium.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
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President Donald Trump’s administration has sent hundreds of Venezuelan deportees to languish in Salvadoran prisons this year, joking with Mr. Bukele in the oval office in April about imprisoning U.S. citizens in El Salvador as well.—
Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah,
Christian Science Monitor,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Munn’s doctor put her on a special IVF protocol for cancer patients and was able to retrieve seven eggs (at Munn’s age, about one in 10 eggs is healthy).—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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Ectopic pregnancies are a dangerous complication that occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the uterus, in this case, in her fallopian tube.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Massive orbs of ground beef are set in a shallow pool of ragù, red and glistening, and are served as often alongside pasta as without.—
Christopher Kimball,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2025
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The outliers are orbs like Earth—those twirling among a family of planets, at home in the warmth of a star.—
Shi En Kim,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ellipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ellipse. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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