as in positively
in an approving manner
she smiled approvingly at the child who was performing onstage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approvingly
Pynchon is clearly a huge fan of detective fiction and quotes approvingly from the genre while not quite wanting to immerse himself fully within it.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approvingly
Adverb
-
The cosmos has three possible geometries—positively curved like a sphere, flat like an infinite plane or negatively curved like a saddle—but geometry alone doesn’t determine shape.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Although state legislative races rarely get the national spotlight, Democrats across the country were positively euphoric at the irony of their Republican nemesis being represented by one of their own.—
BILL BARROW,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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In a legal landscape where member institutions in some states are treated favorably on account of court rulings, NCAA rules won’t apply equally, and some members will gain competitive advantages in building rosters.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Of the five bright naked-eye planets, the two most favorably positioned for viewing during April are in the evening sky.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approvingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approvingly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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