How to Use graduated in a Sentence

graduated

adjective
  • Instead of a cake, there were three Dutch cheeses in graduated sizes.
    — Elizabeth McCracken, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2021
  • Just four days before, the 18-year-old graduated high school.
    — Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 3 June 2020
  • First, there’s the graduated hem, which is shorter on the outside and longer on the inside of the leg.
    — Ariella Gintzler, Outside Online, 27 May 2022
  • All the clocks in our house were set ahead on a graduated system, as deterrents to being late.
    — Nicholas Dawidoff, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
  • Young was backup to the graduated three-year starter Kace Williams a year ago and made two starts when Williams was injured.
    — Greg Riddle, Dallas News, 2 Aug. 2021
  • First, a cut in the top rate is the most powerful among all possible rate cuts in a graduated scale, on a simple percentage basis.
    — Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Or, our winner can take home nearly the total amount in 30 graduated payments over 29 years.
    — George Petras, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Barone would add graduated fines, to get the attention of chronic speeders, and bring in highway engineers to redesign roads to slow traffic.
    — Tom Condon, courant.com, 31 Jan. 2022
  • Rashad, a theater major, graduated magna cum laude from Howard with a bachelor’s in fine arts in 1970.
    — Ellen McGirt, Fortune, 12 May 2021
  • The junior took the spot of beloved, graduated star Cassius Winston and put together a start to silence his doubters with a career game — in the first half.
    — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2020
  • He had already been allowed to leave the hospital grounds for 48 hours without an escort, part of a graduated process that aims to get residents ready for release.
    — Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, 7 June 2018
  • Pritzker, a wealthy heir of the Hyatt Hotels fortune, made the graduated tax proposal his top agenda issue.
    — Rick Pearson, chicagotribune.com, 3 Nov. 2020
  • About $1 billion in an annuity of 30 graduated payments over 29 years.
    — George Petras, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • At first, the transition back to the field went smoothly, even with the change of quarterback to freshman Bo Nix who replaced the graduated Stidham.
    — Giana Han, al, 21 Apr. 2021
  • Roberts was fourth on the team with 37 tackles behind three seniors and was second behind graduated senior free safety Devin Sanchez with six tackles for loss.
    — Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 4 Sep. 2021
  • Plus sleeveless dresses pieced together from half-moon panels of fabric in a graduated cone, so the bodice hugged the torso and the skirt swayed just a little with the walk, engineered to harness the body’s resonance.
    — Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2018
  • Jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment, according to the Powerball’s website.
    — Lauren Chapman, Sacbee.com, 19 Dec. 2025
  • The last time voters passed a graduated statewide income tax in Washington it was struck down by the state Supreme Court in 1933 as unconstitutional.
    — Zusha Elinson, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2017
  • Des Moines adults ages 18 to 24 are eligible to apply for housing at STAY, which follows a graduated rent model.
    — F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Completing the chapter is Rainbow Supreme, a rivière necklace featuring 68 round tourmalines totaling more than 157 carats in a graduated spectrum of pink, yellow and green hues.
    — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • Cignetti even found a replacement for graduated center Mike Katic — Pat Coogan, a 13-game starter on Notre Dame’s CFP runner-up team.
    — Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025

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