back-of-the-envelope
adjective
: done quickly to provide a rough estimate : not exact
did a back-of-the-envelope calculation
His method is, in effect, a back-of-the-envelope time-and-motion study.—
Ian Stewart
Ian StewartExamples of back-of-the-envelope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While there’s no perfect answer, the 25x rule offers a simple, back-of-the-envelope way to estimate retirement savings needs.
—Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
At the high end of back-of-the-envelope calculations — Mr. Galloway said the podcasts could generate $100 million in revenue over the four years — the pair would stand to make about $70 million excluding some costs.
—Jessica Testa, New York Times, 19 May 2025
While Sloan did not volunteer a hard dollar amount, a little back-of-the-envelope math based on legal filings and other financial documentation suggests that the RSNs and other in-market platforms may expect to lose a grand total of $60 million in ad revenue next season.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 May 2025
For one, these are very rough, back-of-the-envelope calculations.
—Jeff Guo, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
According to a back-of-the-envelope calculation Gray did, South Africa receives about $250 million a year from NIH for medical research, three times what the government there invests.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 22 Mar. 2025
Eventually, a consensus emerged, based mostly on back-of-the-envelope calculations from early genetic paternity testing.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 6 Mar. 2025
If my back-of-the-envelope math is correct, the ensemble has three dozen Academy Award and Emmy nominations to its name, to say nothing of the plaudits won by Lesli Linka Glatter (Mad Men, Homeland), who directed all six episodes.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
The economist Robin Hanson’s back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that twenty-third-century America will be dominated by three hundred million Amish people.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
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Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
At the high end of back-of-the-envelope calculations — Mr. Galloway said the podcasts could generate $100 million in revenue over the four years — the pair would stand to make about $70 million excluding some costs.
—Jessica Testa, New York Times, 19 May 2025
While Sloan did not volunteer a hard dollar amount, a little back-of-the-envelope math based on legal filings and other financial documentation suggests that the RSNs and other in-market platforms may expect to lose a grand total of $60 million in ad revenue next season.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 May 2025
For one, these are very rough, back-of-the-envelope calculations.
—Jeff Guo, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
According to a back-of-the-envelope calculation Gray did, South Africa receives about $250 million a year from NIH for medical research, three times what the government there invests.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 22 Mar. 2025
Eventually, a consensus emerged, based mostly on back-of-the-envelope calculations from early genetic paternity testing.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 6 Mar. 2025
If my back-of-the-envelope math is correct, the ensemble has three dozen Academy Award and Emmy nominations to its name, to say nothing of the plaudits won by Lesli Linka Glatter (Mad Men, Homeland), who directed all six episodes.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
The economist Robin Hanson’s back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that twenty-third-century America will be dominated by three hundred million Amish people.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back-of-the-envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-of-the-envelope. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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