gradients

plural of gradient
as in slopes
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the path goes up at a pretty steep gradient before leveling off

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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 gradients Bogs tend to keep their secrets low to the ground, where colors shift by inches and boundaries blur in gradients of tiny mounds of moss and sedges emerging from pools. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 The company also claims the X7 can tackle gradients of up to 30 degrees. — New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026 Near the breakdown, acceleration, pressure gradients, momentum transfer, and viscosity all grow dramatically. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026 Forecasters say, weak offshore pressure gradients in the morning limited the sea breeze effect and allowed temperatures to climb. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina With elevations ranging from about 875 feet to 6,650 feet, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has one of the country’s most pronounced fall-color gradients. — Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2026 Calar Alto’s hardest section is its first 5km, with unrelenting steep gradients. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 These thermal gradients generate stresses that may crack or spall – chip or flake off – the outer surface, but the heat often does not penetrate deeply enough to compromise the structural core. — Giorgia Giardina, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 Add a pop of color to your workout with this pair of sneakers that come in gradients of vibrant yellow, pink, purple, and more. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradients
Noun
  • From shredding the slopes in the winter to floating on the water in the summer, the unofficial capital of the Sierra Nevada sees outdoorsy travelers constantly flocking to its campsites and cabins.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The land on which Thwaites sits slopes downward, meaning as the glacier melts, more ice is exposed to warm ocean water.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Lemmo With this kind of kit, the Lemmo 3 should be up to the task of tackling steep inclines and all manner of rough terrain.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Cows amble in the distance along the inclines of meadows; their grazing helps control invasive plants.
    — Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The trustees feared that if something happened to him, his heir apparent, Robert Kahn, would replace him, and it was known that Kahn had Zionistic inclinations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gradients.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradients. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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