approximating 1 of 2

approximating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of approximate
as in approaching
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

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 approximating
Verb
At this point in the news cycle, unity, or at least something approximating it, needs to be the chief league objective. Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The show imagines communities centered on the Mississippi River, which flows through Minneapolis, and the installation echoes a riverbed, with platforms approximating islands. Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Execution reflects strategy consistently, rather than approximating it. Don Dodds, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Uncanny too were the dusty pinks, approximating Penn’s beloved, nearly transparent poppies. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026 The National Football League, for all its flaws, understands the commercial necessity of approximating fairness. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026 Enlarging the circle improves accuracy by better approximating a true circle. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 May 2026 The band sounds a little like the Police approximating Weather Report, but Parker sounds much like the very guitarist who would join Tortoise and build the ETA IVTet—his tone incisive and notes restrained, his choices forever relating to the rhythm. Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026 So, which games are best for approximating the challenges Artemis will face in settling the moon's surface? Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximating
Adjective
  • The goal is to start these studies with about 35 cubic feet (one cubic meter) of lunar regolith, which is maybe the equivalent size of a fridge.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In property-tax terms, a mill is equivalent to $1 in tax per $1,000 in taxable value.
    Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The ideal course for Bowman is a younger player approaching peak output.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The price of Brent crude oil is approaching $100 a barrel again, and the average price for a gallon of gas remains about $4 a gallon.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Despite this, as Victoria Fuller, head of Cleveland Police, pointed out, the local force receives £139million ($187m) less funding than, for example, its counterpart in Surrey, south of London, despite a comparable population.
    Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • California pump prices are now comparable to levels last seen in early June, according to AAA.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The first Chinese cargo ship traveling along the Northern Sea Route is set to dock in England this week, reflecting Beijing’s growing Arctic ambitions, though analysts cast doubt on the venture’s commercial feasibility.
    Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Populist anti-immigrant parties also made major gains in the 2024 elections for the European Union parliament, reflecting their growing support across the 27-nation bloc.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The Pauli exclusion principle prevents identical fermions from occupying the same quantum state.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The agents also allegedly impersonated a moderator on the wiki, using an identical Cyrillic е character in the admin's username instead of the Latin one.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Winfrey wore an all-white outfit consisting of a tweed jacket layered over a white tee, which was tucked into matching pants.
    Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Testing competing superconductors under matching conditions can help isolate differences caused by the materials themselves.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • So says Ana Trias, president of prestige and fashion brands at Puig, who sees consumer behavior in fragrances becoming more analogous with fashion.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • That suggests the possibility of traffic strategies targeting such neighborhoods, analogous to child safety efforts focused on schools and their surroundings.
    Paula Span, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Not one person, not one thing, but cycles of cumulative, relational and shared actions that are equal parts remarkable and common.
    Supriya Lopez Pillai, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Patients will need to be at least 18 and have a BMI greater than or equal to 35 at the start of the therapy.
    Michelle Marchante September 15, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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