1
2
as in canyons
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
try to get through the notch before the storm blows in
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in steps
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking
sales for the album increased, and it moved up another notch on the music charts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of notches
Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2026
Temperatures on Friday are expected to rise no higher than 15 degrees in Denver, with the thermometer dipping to a few notches above zero tonight.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
While porchetta alone is delicious, adding mustard — particularly your own homemade mustard — elevates it another couple of notches.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
These notches resemble the teeth on a saw blade.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
The newfound harmony and hard salary cap are both notches in the league’s growth story.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 Dec. 2025
The ex-Indiana Pacers star took his prediction up 10 more notches and sent a warning shot to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who holds the NBA’s all-time three-point record.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
No design elements compel particular notice, but their combination lands a couple notches safely above the telegenically bland.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
The barrels have little notches that really grip the hair and keep it in place.
—Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Small notches hold tank tops and more delicate sleeves in place, while the contoured sides prevent dimples from forming at the shoulders of your favorite sweaters.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2026
Temperatures on Friday are expected to rise no higher than 15 degrees in Denver, with the thermometer dipping to a few notches above zero tonight.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
While porchetta alone is delicious, adding mustard — particularly your own homemade mustard — elevates it another couple of notches.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
These notches resemble the teeth on a saw blade.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
The newfound harmony and hard salary cap are both notches in the league’s growth story.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 Dec. 2025
The ex-Indiana Pacers star took his prediction up 10 more notches and sent a warning shot to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who holds the NBA’s all-time three-point record.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
No design elements compel particular notice, but their combination lands a couple notches safely above the telegenically bland.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
The barrels have little notches that really grip the hair and keep it in place.
—Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notches
Noun
-
Experts point to restricted access to advanced chips and limited capital as lingering constraints.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
More recently, OpenAI announced a $10 billion deal with chipmaker Cerebras to deploy 750 megawatts of Cerebras' AI chips.—
Arjun Kharpal,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The area is rugged in places, with rocky slopes, narrow canyons and desert vegetation like creosote, palo verde, mesquite, cholla cactus and bunch grasses.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sedona is known for its spa culture, and what better way to soothe your muscles after hiking and biking through canyons than with a massage or a soak?—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Almost all of them include whirlpool baths on their terraces; those that don’t instead have semi-private pools just a few steps from the bed.—
José Cantillo Ferrer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Similarly, millions of women whose married names don't match with the name on their birth certificates or passports would face extra steps just to make their voices heard, the Brennan Center cautions.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bar Tab Dan Stahl grooves to a cover band in melting-pot midtown.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen gives these bright copper nails indents and grooves for a unique way to dress them up.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The sleeveless top has a roomy silhouette with side slits, while the pants are slightly flared and cropped above the ankle.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The silhouettes reflect the original styles with design elements, including functional skirt slits, raised collars and wraparound jacket style.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The area has deep ravines and dense vegetation.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Low fence markers can be seen outlining the building zone along Route 2, which slopes along open land, wooded patches and some ravines.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Royal scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Ohio State, and Mobley added 13.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Lamberti also came through with 10 points for Oswego East.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Then there’s the ice that’s been frozen in its tracks while cascading down cliffs and gorges.—
Brian Higgins,
Outside,
28 Jan. 2026
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Turn off your notifications and explore the string of eight state parks in the area, marveling at massive waterfalls, river gorges, and sweeping Superior views.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Notches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notches. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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