thereabouts

adverb

there·​abouts ˌt͟her-ə-ˈbau̇ts How to pronounce thereabouts (audio)
ˈt͟her-ə-ˌbau̇ts
variants or less commonly thereabout
ˌt͟her-ə-ˈbau̇t How to pronounce thereabouts (audio)
ˈt͟her-ə-ˌbau̇t
1
: near that place or time
2
: near that number, degree, or quantity
a boy of 18 or thereabouts

Examples of thereabouts in a Sentence

He lives on Maple Street or thereabouts. It happened in 1977 or thereabouts. There were 50 people or thereabouts.
Recent Examples on the Web The sides that are going to be there or thereabouts are now there or thereabouts. SI.com, 28 Oct. 2019 Villa will no doubt have their work cut out to avoid the dreaded drop though, and are expected to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. SI.com, 13 June 2019 The big brands are scrambling to design V4 liter bikes—sport bikes with 1000cc engines, or thereabouts—and making major noise about the V4’s triumphant return to public roads. Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, 26 Apr. 2019 In 1636, or thereabouts, Peter Paul Rubens painted an idyllic, autumnal landscape of his vast manor in the Belgian countryside for his own pleasure. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 2 Mar. 2018 Once a month, or thereabouts, chef Juan Rodriguez will create a three- to four-course meal for a limited number of diners at Magdalena’s homebase at 502 Grand Ave. star-telegram, 7 Dec. 2017 Mid-September to mid-October, or thereabouts, is the prime time to work on fescue lawns in the Piedmont. Nancy Brachey, charlotteobserver, 4 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thereabouts.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thereabouts was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thereabouts

Cite this Entry

“Thereabouts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereabouts. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thereabouts

adverb
there·​abouts
variants also thereabout
ˌt͟har-ə-ˈbau̇t(s) How to pronounce thereabouts (audio)
ˌt͟her-;
ˈt͟har-ə-ˌbau̇t(s),
ˈt͟her-
1
: near that place or time
came from that town or thereabouts
2
: near that number, degree, or quantity
fifty people or thereabouts

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