as in standing
rising straight up
a lone tree remained erect after the terrible tornado had passed
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1
as in to raise
to fix in an upright position
the tribes of the Pacific Northwest erected totem poles in front of their dwellings
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2
as in to build
to form by putting together parts or materials
we'd better erect some sort of shelter before these woods are in total darkness
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Examples of erect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nell Freudenberger, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Resist the temptation to swing right for a view of the Bronze Fonz, a perky yet not entirely convincing statue of Henry Winkler, thumbs erect for all eternity.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 25 July 2024
Kristian Burt, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2024
The war ignited mass protests across the Chicago area and the nation, particularly on numerous college campuses where pro-Palestinian demonstrators erected encampments in the spring, often coming into conflict with administrators and law enforcement.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for erect 
Adjective
The fur was oddly erect, as if from static, and spangled with rain.
—Nell Freudenberger, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Resist the temptation to swing right for a view of the Bronze Fonz, a perky yet not entirely convincing statue of Henry Winkler, thumbs erect for all eternity.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 25 July 2024
Verb
As Tampa prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, a flood barrier is erected around a wastewater facility on October 09, 2024, in Tampa, Florida.
—Kristian Burt, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2024
The war ignited mass protests across the Chicago area and the nation, particularly on numerous college campuses where pro-Palestinian demonstrators erected encampments in the spring, often coming into conflict with administrators and law enforcement.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for erect
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'erect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Erect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erect. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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