as in direct
free from irregularities or digressions in course
the bullets from early firearms were notorious for not following a strictly linear path through the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 linear
Commitments tied to walkways and a nature trail, with the exact linear footage and layout to be worked out at the civil design stage.
—
Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
In 2023, the firm was separately contracted to develop a linear aerospike rocket engine for a spaceplane demonstrator.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Eight of these units were connected to each other and a linear actuator was installed at one end of the line to apply the force needed to activate the elastocaloric effect.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2026
Iger had said Disney would explore a sale of its linear networks, only to reverse course and argue for keeping them.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linear
Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
In 2023, the firm was separately contracted to develop a linear aerospike rocket engine for a spaceplane demonstrator.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Eight of these units were connected to each other and a linear actuator was installed at one end of the line to apply the force needed to activate the elastocaloric effect.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2026
Iger had said Disney would explore a sale of its linear networks, only to reverse course and argue for keeping them.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linear
Adjective
-
Beyond direct employment, Meta is launching a Boone County-wide workforce development initiative through the Boone County Career Collaborative.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Nobody would have been surprised to hear Bad Bunny use one of the year’s biggest stages to levy direct condemnation of the administration’s dehumanizing bigotry.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And the Lakers had to play OKC with their own MVP candidate, Luka Doncic, sitting out for the second straight game with a left hamstring strain.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The Calgary Flames have the longest streak, with 16 straight appearances.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The math was straightforward; get rid of Perardi, pay off the debt.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
If so, keep it straightforward with east-facing for sunrise and west-facing for sunsets.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Linear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linear. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
