Thesaurus results for SPINES

spines

noun

plural of spine

as in backbones

a column of bones supporting the trunk of a vertebrate animal he hurt his spine in the accident, but the doctor says he'll be walking again in no time

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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 spines That Airtag was then tracked to an Amazon AI training facility in Las Vegas that housed a team focused on tearing books from their spines and scanning pages, 404 Media reported. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026 Many of the spines had peeled off, and Nidhi could see the string and glue that held the pages together. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 And the only hint of rain comes from the sound of wind rustling cactus spines, trickle trickle trickle. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026 Red book spines on bookshelves and a colorful gallery wall contrast the home’s cool coastal palette. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2026 Both sets of accommodations have their own helipad and fleet of helicopters which can access VHSG’s 10,000 square miles of terrain, which includes everything from mellow glacier runs to steep spines. — Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026 The reason the cholla can ride along so well is that its spines are covered in backward-facing barbs that ensure they get stuck in the skin of their ride. — Philip Anderson, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 The khaki-to-ochre tint on the Wuthering Heights volumes’ spines is wear. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 This is sending shivers down the spines of regular Democrats, who now sheepishly admit the party has been turned over to the left-wing loons. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spines

Noun

More specifically, insects are invertebrates (animals without backbones) and are part of the arthropod phylum, which also includes spiders, crabs, and centipedes.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Look under rocks for macroinvertebrates (animals without backbones, like stoneflies).

— Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2026

Definition of backbones

Noun

The thing that’s most advanced in ranking RBs is expected QB play given the backs need third-down conversions to add touches and to get red-zone possessions.

— Jess Bryant, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
The Pasadena native grew up around the program and attended UCLA games at the Rose Bowl, where his dad, Demetrice Martin, was the defensive backs coach from 2012-2017.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of backs

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spinelessness

spines

spinner

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“Spines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spines. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of spines

noun

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