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
It’s said to be worth around $10,000 quadrillion — though that was a back-of-the-envelope estimate by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission, in 2017.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The back-of-the-envelope math all pointed to catastrophe.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Both memoirs prepare the lay gambler for a world of gruelling, bruising defeats and unglamorous back-of-the-envelope calculus.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Even simple back-of-the-envelope and spreadsheet models, using historical hourly data, tell a more consistent story.
—Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Caveating that many basic questions remain unanswered, a back-of-the-envelope calculation shows a clear trade-off between immediate monthly affordability and long-term debt accumulation.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
So a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put $2,000 stimulus checks at a total cost of about $326 billion.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Antony Karabus, a longtime strategic adviser to retailers, gave a back-of-the-envelope accounting of how the costs of all the retail must-haves have changed since 2017 or 2018.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Just back-of-the-envelope energy math.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The back-of-the-envelope math all pointed to catastrophe.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Both memoirs prepare the lay gambler for a world of gruelling, bruising defeats and unglamorous back-of-the-envelope calculus.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Even simple back-of-the-envelope and spreadsheet models, using historical hourly data, tell a more consistent story.
—Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Caveating that many basic questions remain unanswered, a back-of-the-envelope calculation shows a clear trade-off between immediate monthly affordability and long-term debt accumulation.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
So a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put $2,000 stimulus checks at a total cost of about $326 billion.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Antony Karabus, a longtime strategic adviser to retailers, gave a back-of-the-envelope accounting of how the costs of all the retail must-haves have changed since 2017 or 2018.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Just back-of-the-envelope energy math.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 7 Oct. 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 26 Apr. 2026.
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