as in approximately
close to but not exactly
I have plus or minus five dollars in change
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Recent Examples of plus or minus
The margin of error was plus or minus 3%, with a 95% confidence interval.
—
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plus or minus
Adverb
-
According to a recent blog post from Lightbourn, Chinese lessor portfolios have approximately $100 billion of shipping assets, accounting for more than 15% of the global ship finance market.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
-
From running errands to embarking on lengthy hikes, our testers logged 1,775,000 steps (approximately 739 miles) throughout the course of the test, documenting their experiences with photos and written feedback all the while.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The Big Sugar Gravel Race will feature about 2,800 participants racing in 25-, 50- and 100-mile courses that begin and end in downtown Bentonville and loop up north, according to Rivard.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Under Do’s board chairmanship, CalOptima CEO Michael Hunn’s pay was increased by about 50% in 2022 to $841,500 a year.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Huntington Beach officials said the crash, which was documented in multiple videos circulating on social media, occurred Saturday afternoon at a beach parking lot in the bustling coastal town, roughly 40 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.—
Jay Cannon,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The epicenter was situated roughly 2 miles east-southeast of Berkeley, at a depth of 6 miles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The move would raise total duties on imports from China to around 130% – effectively a trade embargo and just shy of the 145% peak reached at the height of the trade war this spring.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Throughout Lang’s brief career, there were hints of fancy dress—of the little girl who rootles around in a box of grownup costumes, trying out one look after the next.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plus or minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plus%20or%20minus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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