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
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
In comparison, the Biden administration's approximate 52,334 arrests included 56 percent with criminal convictions, 28 percent with pending criminal charges, and 16 percent with no criminal charges.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 25 June 2025
Only Pau Gasol, who won second-team All-Euroleague honors at 19 in 2001, could approximate it.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for approximate
Adjective
The attendance was a far cry from the approximate 800 who attended the first all-staff meeting helmed by Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford at Old Trafford in January 2024.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
In comparison, the Biden administration's approximate 52,334 arrests included 56 percent with criminal convictions, 28 percent with pending criminal charges, and 16 percent with no criminal charges.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
To approximate sleep time, the scientists recorded how long each individual spent quietly lying still in these nests in each instance.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 25 June 2025
Only Pau Gasol, who won second-team All-Euroleague honors at 19 in 2001, could approximate it.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for approximate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximate
Adjective
-
His handling of immigration remains a relative bright spot with this age group.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
-
That’s strange, since most people are usually there to work on their laptops or check their phones in relative tranquility.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Promotional rates reflect discounts for Autopay and paperless billing.—
Kara McGinley,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
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Study participants often felt these design choices reflected intentional discrimination rather than oversight.—
Kara Dennison,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The president has also made inaccurate statements about certain BLS records.—
Isabella Murray,
ABC News,
5 Aug. 2025
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The White House defended the president’s decision, suggesting the employment numbers and the downward revisions of the past two months were inaccurate.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Netflix still holds bragging rights for the all-time nomination record with 160 nods in 2020, and shares the record for most wins in a single year — 44 victories in 2021, matching CBS’ 1974 tally.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 Aug. 2025
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Photographers are asked to respect dark-sky locations, use light responsibly and present an authentic night-sky experience by being transparent about editing, labeling composite images and ensuring the sky matches the geographic location of the foreground.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
One persistent issue is hallucinations, where the AI fabricates information that may seem plausible but is factually incorrect.—
Sameer Ather,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The Directors Guild of America has advised its members that the WGA’s position is incorrect, and that they may be contractually obligated to perform such activities during a strike.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Trump clapping as Putin approached, with a grin on his face.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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Summer is coming to a close, Labor Day is approaching, and Superman is one of the biggest and best family films in theaters.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Approximate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximate. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
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