Definition of tropicalnext
1
as in subtropical
being near the equator wanted to escape winter and visit some tropical location where freezing to death would not be a possibility

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2
as in metaphoric
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

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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 tropical Set the scene Cloaked in dense foliage at the edge of Old Town Key West, the Island House is a haven for gay men looking for comraderie (and more) as part of a tropical vacation. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026 Meteorologists report the long-term tropical forecast models are producing mixed results so far. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 There‘s the matter of that sinuous electric guitar intro, halfway between tropical psychedelia and merry-go-round anthem. Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 McCabe said there have been other more tropical bird species reported, as well as fish such as dorado and yellowfin tuna typically found further south. Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tropical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropical
Adjective
  • Still, Hawaii’s most important guardian against hurricanes is the North Pacific (or Hawaiian) high—a semipermanent subtropical high-pressure cell that sits northeast of the islands.
    John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The world’s greenest places encompass a variety of ecosystems and habitats, from the mossy Hoh Rain Forest in Washington State to the subtropical Sapa Valley in northern Vietnam.
    Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Lush layers of melody and instrumentation submerges the listener in both metaphoric thought and shifting moods.
    Lina Lecaro, SPIN, 18 Aug. 2026
  • These forces could be imagined as two beings and, by metaphoric extension, as male and female.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • This increase happens for two reasons — both tied to the fact that El Niño is characterized by warmer than average ocean temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ideal for exploring our own solar system, the Celestron PowerSeeker 80EQ comes with 20mm and 4mm eyepieces, a 3x Barlow lens, a German equatorial mount, finderscope and Starry Night astronomy software.
    Chris McMullen, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Susi Singer’s figurative candlestick has style and sass that owes at least partly to its earthenware origins, favored at the Werkstätte for its affordability over porcelain, but much less capable of refined shapes.
    Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Clear non-starters with Ellison and Para execs, the agenda points also reflect the wide figurative and literal distance between the AGs, their lawsuit partners the WGA and the Melrose lot.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • From figural bakers to upgraded pans, the new collection takes fall baking to a whole other level.
    Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Display of a walking staff with a figural head and wooden ladles reveal a history of carving among the cultures Lewis was raised in.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Nominal damages are a small symbolic sum of money awarded when a legal right is violated.
    Jack Harvel August 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Cadet will work with architect Rodney Leon, who is also of Haitian descent, and who will advise on the interpretive writing and symbolic elements of the statue and its lighting and siting.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropical. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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