x-axis
noun
x-ax·is
ˈeks-ˌak-səs 
1
: the axis in a plane Cartesian coordinate system parallel to which abscissas are measured
2
: one of the three axes in a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system
Examples of x-axis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In place of drums is a constant floor of undulating synth bass, which sometimes twists itself into the treble range but mostly functions as the x-axis to the percussion’s y in the vast lattice structure that supports this music.
—
Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
One way to represent a complex number like a + ib is as a point on a plane, where a is the position on the x-axis (which can be thought of as the real number line) and b is the position on an imaginary y-axis.
—Daniel Garisto, Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025
Y-axis ranges from $0 to $10,000; x-axis spans 2019 to 2025.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Soon, the application of some instrument oil, silicone grease, and Kimwipes had the x-axis and pen lifter working again.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 27 June 2025
Result: the murderer could only have been Person B, on the x-axis.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
There is a bar for each year on the x-axis whose length represents the average number of minutes change in time spent at home as compared to the same statistic in 2003.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
One way to represent a complex number like a + ib is as a point on a plane, where a is the position on the x-axis (which can be thought of as the real number line) and b is the position on an imaginary y-axis.
—Daniel Garisto, Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025
Y-axis ranges from $0 to $10,000; x-axis spans 2019 to 2025.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Soon, the application of some instrument oil, silicone grease, and Kimwipes had the x-axis and pen lifter working again.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 27 June 2025
Result: the murderer could only have been Person B, on the x-axis.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
There is a bar for each year on the x-axis whose length represents the average number of minutes change in time spent at home as compared to the same statistic in 2003.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“X-axis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/x-axis. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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