1
2
as in canyons
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
try to get through the notch before the storm blows in
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in steps
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking
sales for the album increased, and it moved up another notch on the music charts
Synonyms & Similar 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 notches
Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
The best puffer jackets for women won’t just keep you warm—they’ll also take all your cold-weather outfits up a few notches.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2025
One of the easiest ways to distinguish a tree of heaven from look-a-likes are the small notches, or teeth, found at the base of each leaf.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 24 Sep. 2025
Ultraviolette's taken things up a few notches this time around, by adding a 77-GHz rear radar with a large tracking cone to spot other vehicles coming at you within a 650-ft (200-m) range.
—New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2025
The sideways trading in Bitcoin comes as gold, the precious metal the original cryptoasset is often compared with, notches near-daily records.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Each inexplicably takes two notches off Hornet’s health (which starts at six max).
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
These tools are thin, flimsy, and built with barbed notches on the side that are used to grabbing hair and break through soap scum or other debris to remove them from your drain.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Few love it as much when leveling the playing field means bumping them down a few notches.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
This psychological thriller—which follows a young woman who becomes convinced that an antique mirror is haunting her family—cranks the fear-o-meter up a few notches.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
The best puffer jackets for women won’t just keep you warm—they’ll also take all your cold-weather outfits up a few notches.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2025
One of the easiest ways to distinguish a tree of heaven from look-a-likes are the small notches, or teeth, found at the base of each leaf.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 24 Sep. 2025
Ultraviolette's taken things up a few notches this time around, by adding a 77-GHz rear radar with a large tracking cone to spot other vehicles coming at you within a 650-ft (200-m) range.
—New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2025
The sideways trading in Bitcoin comes as gold, the precious metal the original cryptoasset is often compared with, notches near-daily records.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Each inexplicably takes two notches off Hornet’s health (which starts at six max).
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
These tools are thin, flimsy, and built with barbed notches on the side that are used to grabbing hair and break through soap scum or other debris to remove them from your drain.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Few love it as much when leveling the playing field means bumping them down a few notches.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notches
Noun
-
Qualcomm calls the new chips AI200 and AI250, and they’re intended for generative AI inference in data centers.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The guest list for the event includes senior American politicians and Silicon Valley glitterati, and comes as US officials mull whether to allow Nvidia to sell its cutting-edge Blackwell chips to China.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The film is also the director’s love letter to a bygone Los Angeles era, a lost world of louche glamor, with actors, directors, hippies, and hustlers roaming the city’s studio lots, canyons, and hills.—
Jay Glennie,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Badlands, North Dakota North Dakota’s Badlands is known for its rugged landscape, including sweeping hills, prairie grasses, canyons and rock formations, as well as native wildlife.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ahmad cautiously approached the home, climbed up the porch steps, and jiggled the front window.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Greece has taken steps to address the issue, such as introducing a new tax on cruise ship visitors to Santorini and Mykonos earlier this year.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Six strong permanent magnets attach the X50’s sole dust filter to its bottom panel, and grooves at the base of its feet lock one edge into place.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
-
But on this Royal Oak afternoon teeming with adventurous jazz grooves, Was is happily nestled in his roots.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch long slits in top of dough (think of a clock for slit placement at 12,3,6,9 positions).—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Its large leaves develop holes and slits that have earned it the name Swiss cheese plant.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the Dominican Republic, 12 provinces are on red alert due to possible flooding of rivers, streams and ravines as well as flash floods and landslides.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Michael Anderson, executive director of the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance, said with results from Senjem in hand, landowners will be able to take action to stop sediment from ravines on their properties.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
They’re designed to have very few or zero single points of failure.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Cody Gakpo leads his side with eight points through eight matches.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Apart from the gorges and cliffs, the area features beautiful waterfalls and rock shelters.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The Gates of Lodore trip, as it’s known, will cover 44 miles through three dramatic gorges—Lodore, Whirlpool, and Split Mountain—and two dozen mostly mild rapids in this remote, geologic wonderland along the Colorado-Utah border.—
John Briley,
Outside,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Notches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notches. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share