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
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 Scaloni has set up Argentina in something approximating a 4-4-2 at this World Cup. Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 15 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
  • Sweeny received his place through the equivalent agreement with Tennis Australia, after Alexei Popyrin, the initial recipient, got into the main draw under his own power following withdrawals.
    Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That’s equivalent to more than 5% of Russia’s gross domestic product.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The pilots would not have been able to even see that airplane approaching them.
    Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In his view, many teens are approaching these chatbots for emotional support, but problems arise because these products were not intended for that purpose.
    Alex Hartman, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Estimating their value is difficult as comparable pieces rarely go on public auction.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Further specialist analyses will help determine whether the Kojetín hoard had a comparable significance.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Former Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson II announced his retirement on his 33rd birthday, reflecting in a video on Instagram about an 11-year NFL journey that ended with his hometown Lions.
    Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Elsewhere, Newcastle and Bournemouth rank in the top 10 highest spenders over five years but among the bottom five over the past three, reflecting sizeable recent sales by each club.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • If only Elanga had managed to finish off an almost identical chance at Villa Park on his Newcastle debut a year ago, then the winger’s first season on Tyneside may have taken on a very different complexion.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • To be sure, today's bond market isn't identical to that of 1987, and several of the underlying conditions that led to Black Monday are not currently at play.
    Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • A day after matching the tournament record at Canyon Meadows with a 9-under 61, the 55-year-old Alker closed with a 5-under 65 to match Yang at 16-under 194.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Matching Bedroom Sets Like many designers, Thayer will never buy a matching bedroom set.
    Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Astronomers are finding that in between the brightest stars, the 'tallest skyscrapers' in the above analogy, there are much fainter stars analogous to smaller buildings.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • War weariness on the rise Ukrainian experts say the logic of hitting largely consumer targets is in part retribution for analogous Russian attacks, and that disrupted supply chains affect the military as well.
    Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The investment bank upgraded software cybersecurity name to overweight from equal weight.
    Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • States have an equal obligation to honor the tax and permitting terms promised to projects that have committed capital.
    Mark Drapeau, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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