: a lead weight attached to a line and used to indicate a vertical direction
1
: straight down or up : vertically
2
chiefly dialectal
: to a complete degree : absolutely
'you're plumb crazy', she remarked, with easy candor—
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly3
: in a direct manner : exactly
also
: without interval of time : immediately
plumbed; plumbing; plumbs
1
: to weight with lead
2
a
: to measure the depth of with a plumb
b
: to examine minutely and critically
plumbing the book's complexities
3
: to adjust or test by a plumb line
4
: to seal with lead
5
[back-formation from plumber]
: to supply with or install as plumbing
: to work as a plumber
Synonyms
Adverb
Verb
Adjective
- absolute
- all-out
- arrant
- blank
- blooming [chiefly British]
- bodacious [Southern & Midland]
- categorical
- categoric
- clean
- complete
- consummate
- crashing
- damn
- damned
- dead
- deadly
- definite
- downright
- dreadful
- fair
- flat
- flat-out
- out-and-out
- outright
- perfect
- profound
- pure
- rank
- regular
- sheer
- simple
- stark
- stone
- straight-out
- thorough
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
Examples of plumb in a Sentence
Adverb
He set the board plumb.
I plumb forgot about the party.
Verb
The book plumbs the complexities of human relationships.
a scientist who spent her life plumbing the minds of criminals
The play plumbs the depths of human nature.
The plumber is almost finished plumbing the apartment.
The new house has been wired and plumbed.
All the bathroom fixtures have been plumbed.
Adjective
The carpenter made sure that the wall was plumb.
a horror movie that's plumb trash and further evidence of the deterioration of popular culture
Recent Examples on the Web
Seyward Darby, Longreads, 10 Sep. 2024
Perhaps that's because there is nothing left to plumb.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2024
Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2024
In other examples, brands—such as Chanel, Chopard, Czapek and Toledano & Chan—have plumbed their own artisanal capabilities to create pieces that lie at the intersection of art and science.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2024
Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
Still, overall the film is beautiful and respectful towards its subjects, capturing the psychology of people who choose to risk their lives to plumb unexplored depths.
—Janey Tracey, EW.com, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for plumb 
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.
Noun
This is the first piece in an investigative series produced by Mother Jones, the Center for Public Integrity, and Reveal that plumbs what was a radical reparations effort swiftly undone by white powerbrokers.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 10 Sep. 2024
Perhaps that's because there is nothing left to plumb.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2024
Verb
Winter isn’t plumbing the moral abyss at the heart of violent men.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2024
In other examples, brands—such as Chanel, Chopard, Czapek and Toledano & Chan—have plumbed their own artisanal capabilities to create pieces that lie at the intersection of art and science.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Nickel Boys also nabbed the plumb opening-night spot at the New York Film Festival, while closing-night honors go to Steve McQueen’s as-yet-unseen Blitz, which combines two of the Oscars’ favorite things: World War II and Saoirse Ronan.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
Still, overall the film is beautiful and respectful towards its subjects, capturing the psychology of people who choose to risk their lives to plumb unexplored depths.
—Janey Tracey, EW.com, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for plumb
Dictionary Entries Near plumb
Cite this Entry
“Plumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plumb. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plumb
1 of 4 noun
: a weight attached to a line especially to show a vertical direction or distance
plumb
2 of 4 adverb1
: straight down or up : vertically
2
chiefly dialect
: to a complete degree : absolutely
3
: in a direct manner : exactly
plumb
3 of 4 verb1
: to measure, adjust, or test with a plumb
plumb a wall
plumb the depth of the well
2
: to see into and come to understand
plumbed their motives
plumb
4 of 4 adjective
: exactly vertical or true
the wall is plumb
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