How to Use diagonally in a Sentence

diagonally

adverb
  • Slice two pieces diagonally and place them on an oven-safe plate.
    — Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 29 Apr. 2020
  • The dancers sit diagonally, feet flat with knees bent, hunched over their legs.
    — Lauren Warnecke, chicagotribune.com, 21 Sep. 2019
  • Next, from that very same point on your nose, slant the brush diagonally to the end of the eye.
    — Jenna Birch, SELF, 6 Apr. 2020
  • Raise your arms diagonally in front of your body to the upper right of your reach.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 30 Jan. 2024
  • Wilks' van came to a stop diagonally in front of the Smiths' car.
    — Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2020
  • The first person to get five across, up and down, or diagonally wins!
    — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 13 Apr. 2022
  • Slice carrots diagonally ½ inch thick and add them to the pot.
    — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, 28 Aug. 2019
  • The light passed through it and slashed diagonally across the hallway.
    — Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
  • Fleming was able to shoot diagonally into a wide open net to tie the score.
    — Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2023
  • Photos released from the scene show a white car stuck diagonally across the train tracks.
    — Fox News, 3 Aug. 2020
  • Her hair was tied up in a bun, with a matching peacock green hat clipped diagonally on the right side of her head.
    — Ada Tseng, WWD, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Remove meat from pan, slice diagonally across the grain, and serve with potatoes and sauce.
    — Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Place the butter square diagonally in the center of the dough square.
    — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2020
  • Fold a dangling end of the ribbon in half lengthwise, and cut diagonally to form two sharp points.
    — Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 11 Sep. 2022
  • Form the lattice by placing the other half of the strips diagonally across the first strips.
    — Kristen Massad, Dallas News, 8 Oct. 2020
  • The dispenser tube at the bulk milk/creamer dispenser was not cut diagonally and was cut longer than an inch.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025
  • The nuclei form a wide swath diagonally across the chart, whose lower edge is called the neutron drip line.
    — Byadrian Cho, science.org, 26 Oct. 2022
  • Make a sandwich with the frosting and the pound cake slices and slice each sandwich diagonally.
    — Veronica Hinke, chicagotribune.com, 15 Mar. 2018
  • When blooms start to fade, use clean pruning shears to cut the stem diagonally back to a leaf or another stem.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Teller pushed him diagonally past the left hashmarks, and then past the numbers on the field.
    — Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Then fold in half diagonally, leaving the point of the napkin closest to you.
    — Maggie Burch, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2024
  • Repeat this same technique, but reaching your foot diagonally back and to the left, and then back and to the right.
    — Adrienne Jordan, GQ, 28 May 2018
  • The start of the brow should run parallel to the nose dimple and the arch should sit diagonally across the pupil from the nose.
    — Felicity Carter, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021
  • Poles extend up diagonally from the base to provide a hanging hook for the hammock at each end of the stand.
    — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2024
  • On the roof of a house diagonally across from the temple there were sharpshooters from the armed police.
    — Luo Siling, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2016
  • They were draped diagonally between the restrooms on either side, and we were told to use only the one on the right side.
    — Carol Morello, Washington Post, 10 May 2018
  • Her bixie cut was tied back with a navy and white-dotted bandana folded diagonally and wrapped around her crown.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 June 2026
  • The linear design—the way that the suit has lines that flow diagonally across the body—is very flattering.
    — Sara Bosworth, WSJ, 16 June 2021
  • To apply grout, use the rubber float to spread the grout diagonally across the tile, forcing it into the seams.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Cut ends diagonally to finish the look.
    — Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diagonally.' 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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