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approximating 1 of 2

adjective

as in equivalent

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Dissimilar Words

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
Whether any variant of such consciousness, approximating that of humans, can be achieved with a nonbiological foundation is assumed but remains to be seen. — Keith Tidman, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximating
  1. equivalent
  2. approaching
  3. comparable
  4. reflecting
  5. identical
  6. matching
  7. analogous
  8. equal
Adjective
  • Fox News earlier reported the new reductions, which could include any one-star general or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank.
    — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The reason is unlikely a lack of data, because last year’s equivalent release, which came more than a week closer to the conclusion of the tournament, included them.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of equivalent
Verb
  • But with the midterms approaching, Republicans are increasingly frustrated by the unexpected bromance, which threatens the party’s message about Democratic radicalism.
    — Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Semafor said Musk is one of a number of wealthy individuals that Paramount, led by CEO David Ellison, has considered approaching to join a syndicate of equity investors into the company.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of approaching
Adjective
  • Tickets cost less than $1, while comparable performances elsewhere can cost as much as $300.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • According to Abramson, the pulses are basically imperceptible, comparable to what a pacemaker sends to the heart.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of comparable
Verb
  • Standard materials send reflecting waves outward at equal angles, creating unpredictable chaotic patterns inside irregular containers.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Twenty-one-year-old Kane Parsons is reflecting on a whirlwind summer in which the box office was undoubtedly bolstered by the release of his feature debut, Backrooms.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of reflecting
Adjective
  • The key test was performed independently on two nominally identical devices, one at EPFL and one at the Weizmann Institute, using separate experimental setups.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The week the flight ends is the worst possible time to judge it, because that’s the one point where a spike and a durable signal look identical.
    — Tony Gonzalez, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of identical
Verb
  • Instead of focusing on matching everything, think about mixing pieces, advise Kevin Kaminski and Alexis Pew, the founders of the architecture and interior design firm Kaminski + Pew.
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The roll-down blinds are also made from matching wool felt, while the floor benefits from boat deck-style teak planks.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of matching
Adjective
  • The senator said the Food and Drug Administration's model of pharmaceutical regulation is analogous to the AI debate.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In some ways, shorebirds are analogous to the wolves that hunt the deer and elk populations that eat the tree saplings that become the trees that beavers use to build dams that help the fish—and so on.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of analogous
Adjective
  • The result is a diverse take on itameshi — think mentaiko spaghetti, sansho-spiked cacio e pepe, panko Milanese and yuzu spritzes — served with equal parts Italian dolce vita and Japanese hospitality.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • His lawyers say the evidence instead showed Rivera, Nuhfer and their associates operating as equal partners, with payments divided equally and participants consulting one another rather than Rivera directing them.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of equal

Browse Nearby Words

approximates
approximating
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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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