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
Behind you, the fountain burbles approvingly.
—Mackenzie Chung Fegan, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 June 2024
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Behind you, the fountain burbles approvingly.
—Mackenzie Chung Fegan, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approvingly
Adverb
-
For all of that gross amount of money spent it should be universally positively recognized.—
Arts Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In the protein-obsessive landscape of today, a couple of Quest bars sounds positively quaint.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Out of the 86 businesses that have received grants, 13 have closed, a rate Calloway said compares favorably to traditional venture capital outcomes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Just 4% of Muslim Americans viewed Israel favorably.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approvingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approvingly. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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