as in obsessive
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
I've always been anal about arranging my books alphabetically by author.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 anal
Jordan was diagnosed with stage 4 anal cancer that has spread to her lungs and the lymph nodes around her pelvis.
—
Johnny Dodd, People.com, 26 May 2025
Rectal bleeding: Minor rectal bleeding is possible if a hard stool causes any anal fissures (small tears) in the rectal lining.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 16 Feb. 2025
Hearing about all the times Scheana and Brock have tried anal is fun and arousing.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 June 2025
Snakeheads also have a longer anal fin (lower body fin) that is about half the length of their body.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anal
Johnny Dodd, People.com, 26 May 2025
Rectal bleeding: Minor rectal bleeding is possible if a hard stool causes any anal fissures (small tears) in the rectal lining.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 16 Feb. 2025
Hearing about all the times Scheana and Brock have tried anal is fun and arousing.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 June 2025
Snakeheads also have a longer anal fin (lower body fin) that is about half the length of their body.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal
Adjective
-
The Residence starred Uzo Aduba as quirky detective Cordelia Cupp, who uses her cunning intellect and obsessive bird-watching abilities to crack otherwise unsolvable cases.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
2 July 2025
-
In a saturated mid-market bracket, Hampton’s leadership has managed to differentiate the brand through an obsessive drive to understand customers.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump has been adamant his tariffs will bring factory jobs back to American shores.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
-
Among the holdouts are members of the SALT Caucus, who have been adamant that any deal from the Senate that does not match the one that passed the House is dead on arrival.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Growing up in a strict Mennonite community in rural Ohio truly shaped my ethics and values.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 July 2025
-
That’s not the strict definition of doxxing because the post did not give Butker’s address.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share