Choose the Right Synonym for yardstick

standard, criterion, gauge, yardstick, touchstone mean a means of determining what a thing should be. standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority. standards of behavior criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not. questioned the critic's criteria for excellence gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect. polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality. housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible. fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

Examples of yardstick in a Sentence

Some feel that test scores aren't an adequate yardstick for judging a student's ability. Ratings are the yardstick by which TV shows are evaluated by networks.

Recent Examples on the Web If their record is a yardstick to go by, both will keep doing deals, with Pfizer in May announcing the $11.6 billion purchase of Biohaven. — David Wainer, WSJ, 28 July 2022 And cost per click is not the yardstick that all brands should be using. — Kiri Masters, Forbes, 6 May 2022 Thus, baryon acoustic oscillations can serve as a sort of yardstick that the team can use to measure other distances in its maps in search of deviations from standard cosmology, such as changes in the strength of dark energy. — Ben Brubaker, Scientific American, 4 May 2022 At the opposite end of this year's fashion yardstick are very long skirts and dresses with flowy ruffles and voluminous fabric. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 30 Mar. 2022 But watching time is not the only yardstick of the company’s success. — Todd Longwell, Variety, 23 June 2022 The fifth brightest star in the night sky and about 25 light-years away, this blue star is a yardstick for judging the apparent magnitude, or brightness, of stars. — Jamie Carter, Forbes, 5 June 2022 Profitability is the yardstick to measure Netflix by moving forward, not revenue growth. — Will Daniel, Fortune, 16 May 2022 The degree to which the light has been shifted toward the red end of the spectrum is a cosmic yardstick, telling astronomers the distance to that object. — Joel Achenbach, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yardstick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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