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
  • During the first week of this month, the spread between 10 year Italian government bonds and equivalent German Bunds approached 130 basis points, marking its largest weekly expansion since the pandemic.
    — , CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Detroit legend’s last album came out in July 2024 with The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which topped the Billboard 200, earning 281,000 total album-equivalent units, according to Luminate.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of equivalent
Verb
  • The case has been a political flashpoint in Nigeria for years, flaring up ahead of the 2023 election that brought Tinubu to office and again now with the 2027 vote fast approaching.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • With multiple CMEs approaching Earth in quick succession, there's still considerable uncertainty over how geomagnetic conditions will develop.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of approaching
Adjective
  • The man at the centre of the story eventually represents a level of power comparable to that of the state.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Except for the shift in timing and this year’s sale lasting one day longer, the sale itself was comparable year-over-year.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of comparable
Verb
  • At the beginning, everything feels controlled, clean and carefully composed, reflecting how this family wants to see itself.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The crowds outside Comme des Garçons and Rick Owens still offer a distinct point of view, reflecting communities built around an aesthetic rather than a marketing exercise.
    — Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of reflecting
Adjective
  • The film, based on Josh Malerman‘s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House, follows a family whose house is haunted by a sinister entity that looks and sounds identical to the mother, with both versions played by the star.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This cartography of development is now helping researchers understand how identical cells in the early embryo develop into the distinct tissues and cell types of a complex organism.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of identical
Verb
  • Rentrak points out that 2026 hit the $8 billion mark in 282 days, matching the exact pace of 2011 and reaching that milestone a full 59 days earlier than in 2025.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • With the win, North Carolina improved to 3-2 and moved within one victory of matching its win total from last season, when the Tar Heels finished 4-8.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of matching
Adjective
  • Bayzo's pub is analogous to an English tavern, with creamy cups of clam chowder and a piano likely to launch you into Elton John renditions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But the less strictly technical procedure Serra describes is analogous to operations at stake in Jonas’s own work, implying that the act of measurement by walking and seeing is tacitly existential.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of analogous
Adjective
  • Expect Bass at tonight’s debate to try and assert her dominance early with equal part offense against Raman and defense of her record.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Under the ban, each homogeneous material that makes up a garment should not have a PFHxA concentration equal to or greater than 25 parts per billion (ppb) for the sum of PFHxA and its salts, while 1,000 ppb for the sum of its related substances.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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