1
as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
the movie's an approximate success, if you can overlook the overblown publicity that preceded it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in approximative
not precisely correct
police could only give us an approximate count of the number of people who attended the air show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to reflect
to come near or nearer to in character or quality
Rob's violin performance last night didn't even approximate what he's really capable of when he's not feeling sick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approximate
Toby Meyjes, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
Last year, Wilson County’s Tuckers Crossroads community organized a tractor parade to protest an industrial park plan on an approximate 1,380-acre location near Linwood and Bluebird Roads just off Interstate 40 in eastern Wilson County.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 18 Aug. 2025
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, Tenn., for example, contains 100,000 computer chips and 150 megawatts of power, which approximates the generating capacity of 55 modern wind turbines and 53,000 households, RAND said.
—Peter Murphy, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for approximate
Adjective
Its approximate size is 80 feet.
—Toby Meyjes, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
Last year, Wilson County’s Tuckers Crossroads community organized a tractor parade to protest an industrial park plan on an approximate 1,380-acre location near Linwood and Bluebird Roads just off Interstate 40 in eastern Wilson County.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
Neural networks can be used as a kind of shortcut to approximate the work of physics models.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, Tenn., for example, contains 100,000 computer chips and 150 megawatts of power, which approximates the generating capacity of 55 modern wind turbines and 53,000 households, RAND said.
—Peter Murphy, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for approximate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximate
Adjective
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Ross, one of the Democrats to decline AIPAC money, is a relative centrist, according to a GovTrack scorecard, while Foushee and McGarvey, Kentucky’s only House Democrat, are in the middle of the pack ideologically.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cells can be referred to by expressions in other cells using a special function use() with relative coordinates.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The infectious energy and Justin Bieber-style appeal of 25-year-old country hitmaker Bailey Zimmerman was not reflected in the CMA nominations.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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With contributions across disciplines, the legends featured in the pages of WWD over the decades let their passion fuel innovation, shaping and evolving brand legacies and the industry to reflect the times while leaving an indelible mark.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Apple had to claw back key features, including its (very funny but very inaccurate) text message and news app summaries.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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The agent’s outputs could be inaccurate, irrelevant or even risky, negatively impacting ROI.—
Manosiz Bhattacharyya,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Saturdays in the South during football season can't be matched.—
Southern Living Editors,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
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GloRilla tapped into her preppy side in a plaid bustier dress, matching jacket and a hot pink Versace bucket bag.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This approach is unreliable because the proxy materials, like volcanic rock, might have been changed by geological processes or created long after the eggs were laid, resulting in incorrect age estimates.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
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Poor labor management can also result in longer wait times, incorrect orders and ultimately negative reviews, directly impacting revenue.—
Jeff Kiesel,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Storms approaching the region start to reach cooler waters that aren't warm enough to fuel a hurricane and tradewinds in the region can topple a storm's cloud structure.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Goldenberg approached his side job with caution.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Approximate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximate. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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