as in elliptic
having the shape of an egg
the Oval Office in the White House
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oval
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
Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2025
This is especially true as NASCAR heads into a seven-race stretch that includes an assortment of wild-card tracks with three races on road courses and a drafting oval.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oval
Adjective
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
Noun
Each type ranges from an oval and flat flash, to a thin or pointy strip that also only last between 1-2 seconds and 15 seconds.
—Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2025
This is especially true as NASCAR heads into a seven-race stretch that includes an assortment of wild-card tracks with three races on road courses and a drafting oval.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oval
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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Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) reflects a woman’s egg supply and helps assess fertility.—
Michael Menna,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Af Klint’s real intentions remain elusive, buried in the labyrinth of her elliptical writing.—
Jay Cheshes,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Designed by famed Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century, the landmark square is known for its iconic elliptical colonnades, which symbolize embracing the faithful.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Since the Earth’s orbit is an ellipse and not a circle, the planet is about 1.7% closer to the Sun in early January compared with its annual average.—
Steven R. Fassnacht,
The Conversation,
17 Feb. 2025
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These integrals are rather difficult expressions that started off as parts of an attempt to measure the circumference of an ellipse.—
Richard Jensen,
Scientific American,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Celebrating these small wins not only provides immediate satisfaction but also creates a positive feedback loop that encourages staff to keep striving for excellence.—
Sacha Obaid,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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His eyes are glued to his work computer, where Blue Smiley plays on a loop every day, Monday through Saturday.—
Tyler Hicks,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
Noun
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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
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Be massive to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium (i.e., be a spheroid under the force of its own gravity) 3.—
John Loeffler,
Space.com,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The $50 Oasis is her take on the WNBA’s official basketball, while Envision ($28) is Clark’s version of Wilson’s outdoor ball.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
9 June 2025
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Van Lith received the final inbounds pass of Saturday’s blowout loss, eventually passing the ball back to an official as fans began to file out.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Noun
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The official dimpled sphere of the Deutsche Golf Verband (Deutschland’s equivalent of the USGA), Snyder launched stateside earlier this year after establishing a presence in their home country over the past half decade.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Knowing yourself is difficult, in part, because some behaviors and attitudes stem from the unconscious mind, outside your sphere of awareness.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
2 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
“Oval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oval. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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