sternward

adverb

ˈstərn-wərd How to pronounce sternward (audio)
variants or sternwards
Definition of sternwardnext
as in backward
near, toward, or in the stern of a ship or the tail of an aircraft a flight attendant hurried sternward to attend to the disturbance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sternward
  1. backward
  2. behind
  3. back
  4. aft
Adverb
  • By sending light through the fiber and measuring how that light changes, engineers can work backward to determine what happened to the fiber.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Marazzi and co-screenwriter Valia Santella ground their non-linear narrative by using the date of July 14, 1937 as a jumping-off point to move backwards and forwards in time through the recollections and point of view of the title character.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of backward
Adverb
  • Another woman, Shoba Shretha, returned to find Sweetie, the dog she was forced to leave behind when the floods came.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Emde wandered ahead while King lagged behind at her usual tempo, which is uncommonly slow but projects incongruous urgency.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of behind
Adverb
  • Michael Mankins and Matthew Crupi want value maximization back as the objective, with stakeholder commitments as hard or soft constraints.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This is where the episode finally loops back on itself, with the recruiter laying out a black hole on the ground, revealing the mall to be a kind of pocket universe.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of back
Adverb
  • Also of note is the Dusk Bar, which sits aft on Deck 10 and is stocked with interesting spirits.
    — David Swanson, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2024
  • Bars and Restaurants The best seat in the house was aft, on the Lido deck, soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine with a flute of Champagne.
    — Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023
Definition of aft
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sterns
sternward
Stetson
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sternward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sternward. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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