parallel 1 of 3

parallel

2 of 3

noun

parallel

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective parallel contrast with its synonyms?

The words analogous and similar are common synonyms of parallel. While all three words mean "closely resembling each other," parallel suggests a marked likeness in the development of two things.

the parallel careers of two movie stars

When can analogous be used instead of parallel?

In some situations, the words analogous and parallel are roughly equivalent. However, analogous applies to things belonging in essentially different categories but nevertheless having many similarities.

analogous political systems

When would similar be a good substitute for parallel?

While the synonyms similar and parallel are close in meaning, similar implies the possibility of being mistaken for each other.

all the houses in the development are similar

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parallel
Adjective
Leon appeared inclined to agree, as did his colleague, Judge Beryl Howell, who earlier in the day had heard a parallel challenge brought by Perkins Coie. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025 The glass was not parallel like the double-pane windows in your home. Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
Pakistan's Ties with China In parallel, Pakistan has been strengthening its relationship with China. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025 Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight has added Israeli director Nadav Lapid’s Yes! Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
The deportations parallel those in the U.S. recently under the Trump administration. Erion Xhabafti, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025 This historic highway parallels the route miners traversed during the Klondike Gold Rush. Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for parallel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallel
Adjective
  • Going on multiple dates with multiple people via apps that are more or less pretty similar is going to cause some kind of fatigue.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 3 May 2025
  • One editor felt the cake was similar to Angel Food cake, while two other editors compared the sweet, nutty aroma of the cake to cornbread.
    Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • Alleviating chronic disease is also a passion of Kennedy’s, and the similarities between them run deep.
    Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
  • The similarity between the two mottos and their proximity on the painting’s canvas suggest a sort of spiritual or emotional intimacy between Ginevra and Bembo.
    E.R. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • Moving forward, the team aims to test other sea lions and see if Ronan can match less predictable tempos.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025
  • The neutral colors match everything, but the playful pattern still makes a statement.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • The work of flattening out three-dimensional sculpture into a two-dimensional painting was analogous to intellectualizing and abstracting Blackness as media became more mobile in the early twentieth century.
    Delinda Collier, Artforum, 1 May 2025
  • Together, these provide a wealth of data that any neuroscientist would envy — analogous to a perfect map of a person’s brain, along with separate electrodes to monitor the activity of each neuron.
    Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There’s an obvious physical resemblance; born within months of one another in 1969, both actors are tall and lean but muscular, with angular features and, often, light, chin-grazing hair.
    Judy Berman, Time, 12 May 2025
  • On the menu was bone marrow, charred octopus with tentacles sprawling off the serving platter, and a deep-red cherry jubilee with an uncanny resemblance to blood (Isabelle even used a flambé technique at the table to wow her guests).
    Ginger Perra, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • Mexican brain rot characters have joined the mix, as have culturally specific counterparts from France, Germany and beyond.
    Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
  • His pitching counterpart, Grant Holmes, wasn’t so lucky.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • Through the first five weeks of the second quarter, Texas Roadhouse said its comparable sales at company restaurants increased 5% year over year.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 8 May 2025
  • One that’s more demonstrable in the industry than other comparable examples of societal laziness.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Pace takes Phillis Wheatley as his case study, a poet who, while typically excluded from the Romantic canon, subversively uses the formal coordinates of the slave trade to chart a course toward freedom, anticipating Romantic themes of self-discovery.
    Abby Clayton, JSTOR Daily, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Since the majority of installations are relatively remote, the Desert X website provides exact coordinates to help navigate to each artwork.
    Rana Good, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parallel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallel. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on parallel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!