oval 1 of 2

as in elliptic
having the shape of an egg the Oval Office in the White House

Synonyms & Similar Words

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oval

2 of 2

noun

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 oval
Adjective
Those fears proved unfounded—the wheel came off easily, and the belt popped off the front chainring into an oval shape. Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025 That orbit in general is an ellipse, an oval shape. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 25 July 2025
Noun
Today inside Paris’s Palais Brongniart, guests including Kerry Washington, Milly Alcock, and Rita Ora filed into a futuristic oval room for Fendi’s spring 2023 couture show. Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2023 In the dining room, the family’s original China collection — complete and fully intact — is set on a long, oval table. Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 26 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for oval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oval
Noun
  • In another medium bowl, add buttermilk, vegetable oil, extra-large eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2025
  • Add a fried egg, tomatoes, or hemp seeds to your avocado toast for added benefit and flavor.
    Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • Vertical, elliptical pupils: Unlike nonvenomous snakes that have round pupils, rattlesnakes have vertical, slit-like pupils similar to a cat’s eyes.
    Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
  • One possibility is that the star is on a highly elliptical orbit, and at its perihelion (closest point to the black hole) some of the star's mass is ripped away — but the star managed to survive for another day.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • The moon orbits Earth in a slight ellipse, so a full moon can sometimes be slightly closer than usual — a supermoon.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The ellipse enclosing these locations is called an error ellipse.
    Toshi Hirabayashi, The Conversation, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Why brands are abandoning traditional PR The statistics don’t lie: Hybrid approaches create feedback loops between paid and earned media, driving continuous improvement in both areas.
    Ascend Agency, Baltimore Sun, 24 July 2025
  • Outfitted with steel cable loops, a waterproof PVC identification tag, and a bendable, flexible silicone body, these Ovener luggage tags were built for the long haul.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • But when either snacking on regular bone-in rodents or a calcium-rich diet, snake cell crypts featured plenty of calcium, phosphorus, and iron spheroids.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 July 2025
  • The only thing that could concentrate our eyes and minds, in this reverse panopticon of seventy thousand gazes, was the football itself, that precious prolate spheroid of dimpled cowhide, which had yet to be teed up or booted into play.
    Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In Ortiz’s case, gambling regulators flagged suspicious bets pertaining to whether specific pitches would be balls or strikes.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
  • Already evident is a preternatural calmness on the ball, a characteristic of Ajax academy defenders, and allied with his passing range and physical traits, Hato looks like one of the most talented young centre-backs in Europe.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 July 2025
Noun
  • When pumped with enough energy, the sphere will emit the laser light on its own.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2025
  • Earth’s inner core is a roughly 1,500-mile-wide sphere made mostly of iron and nickel.
    Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • The most common shapes were orbs, spheres and triangles, frequently observed performing advanced maneuvers.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2025
  • Gunn’s approach is colorful, in both its palette and the costumes; proudly fantastical, with flying orbs, robots, portals, and giant monsters; and at times endearingly, intentionally corny (see: Krypto the super dog).
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Oval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oval. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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