about 1 of 3

1
2
as in around
close to about the hedge there was a picket fence

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in throughout
in random positions within the boundaries of sparrows hopping about the lawn near the bird feeder

Synonyms & Similar Words

about

2 of 3

adverb

1
as in round
on all sides or in every direction people standing about waiting for a salesclerk to assist them

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2
3
4
5
as in everywhere
in one place and another his garage was a dirty, cluttered place with various tools and engine parts just lying about

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

about

3 of 3

adjective

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 about
Preposition
Marner was about to test free agency for the first time, but this is expected to be a sign-and-trade. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025 Guess when the piece was about to go off and then duck, try to, keep from getting shot and the car from going off the road. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Adverb
Also, Offit says, researchers usually put forward an explanation about how the vaccine might be causing these deaths. Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 1 July 2025 After the trade that sent Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers resulted in a pay increase for the star cornerback, rumors have started rumbling about a possible Watt trade. Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Adjective
The facility, assembled on a remote airstrip about 50 miles west of Miami, could house 5,000 detainees. Danielle Wallace , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for about
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about
Preposition
  • The tragedy is still under investigation but concerns have been raised regarding congested airspace and understaffed air traffic control facilities at Reagan National.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Critics of the deal have cited concerns about the intentions of Nippon Steel regarding continuing domestic production, particularly in blast furnaces.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Preposition
  • Join collectives for influencers in your domain for support around negotiation, industry trends and ways to advocate for greater equity in the space.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Optimism all around the market erased the losses of the past three months, including in sports, as the Sportico Sports Stock Index rose 9% in June, pushing the index to 1,505—its highest mark since mid-February.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
Preposition
  • The speeches President Andrews delivers throughout the novel -- many of them written in full -- read like pure Clinton.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2025
  • Areas such as California, the Great Basin, and the northern Rockies are projected to face above-normal fire potential throughout the summer months, further straining firefighting resources and endangering communities.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Adverb
  • Arizona will have to do so without Corbin Carroll, who is working his way back from injury, and get a tough series opener with Logan Webb taking the mound for the Giants.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
  • Village officials, too, have to decide on what form the property along Washington Street, west of Milwaukee back to the tollway, will take.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Adverb
  • When a tariff bill for almost $11,000 arrived without warning, Robert Keeley reached for one of his last financial lifelines and cashed in 1.83 million American Express reward points to pay it.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
  • In 2013, Tropical Storm Flossie almost made landfall in Hawaii but moved to the north.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Adverb
  • According to a 2024 Bank of America report, approximately 25% of households live paycheck to paycheck, which has forced retailers to go on the offensive.
    Atal Bansal, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • These are only a few examples of the deep ties between higher education and the founding generation; approximately half of them attained some form of it—an impressively high level of advanced learning for the time.
    Time, Time, 1 July 2025
Adverb
  • Poor Cybersecurity Hygiene: With SaaS sprawl and remote work, vulnerabilities are everywhere.
    Imre Szenttornyay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The golf-ready skirt/short hybrid is a sleeper hit for Amazon, earning hundreds of five-star reviews from shoppers who wear it everywhere from the course to Costco.
    Esme Benjamin, People.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Musk’s comment about Bannon returning to prison was made under a post showing Trump’s Truth Social post, indicating that the billionaire is aware of the threat but is choosing not to respond yet.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
  • Leyva implies that Márquez was aware of and even sympathetic to the plan, citing text messages in which the two expressed mutual support.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“About.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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