as in sample
a number of things selected from a group to stand for the whole
a sampling of shoppers said they preferred fresh orange juice over frozen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in testing
to put (something) to a test
sampled the soup to see if it tasted good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sampling
Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Go on Tuesdays for happy hour bites and a sampling of a special wine, spirit, or beer—your first tasting is on the house.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Food sampling throughout the store.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sampling
Noun
From fine dining to casual, here's a sampling of dinners and special events around metro Detroit.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Go on Tuesdays for happy hour bites and a sampling of a special wine, spirit, or beer—your first tasting is on the house.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
Start sampling and judge the firmness and sweetness to achieve the best picking time.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Food sampling throughout the store.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sampling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sampling
Noun
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The pillow menu here arrives not just as a list but with samples to press to your skin.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
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After the Apollo samples were returned to Earth and analyzed, textbooks were updated with a wealth of new information about the moon.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Major League Baseball is implementing the ABS challenge system for the first time in the regular season after testing it during spring training games last year and utilizing it in Triple A since the 2023 season.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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After testing formulas across curl types in cold, dry conditions and in more humid weather, Pattern Hydration Shampoo emerged as the best overall pick.—
Jamie Wilson,
Glamour,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sampling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sampling. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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