as in equivalent
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approximating
Andrés Martinez, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
In the field of cosmology, approximating dark energy with a cosmological constant has been remarkably successful since its presence was first revealed in the late 1990s.
—Big Think, 1 Apr. 2026
The authors suggest that the Democratic preference, approximating a more native pronunciation, was motivated by greater multicultural sensitivity.
—Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
But he is also credited with the invention of a screw water pump — still used in power plants today — and a means of approximating pi, among many other things.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
In these walls of white noise, Martin channels Paysage d’Hiver, a Swiss black-metal artist who has made a whole career—and a lot of lore—out of approximating winter storms through blindingly white guitar fuzz and overwhelming dark-ambient atmospheres.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
In the others, researchers cranked up the heat in greenhouses, approximating the effects of global warming.
—Drew Kann, AJC.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The ideal scenario would see Wiggins approximating what Horton did this year, but that was a unique case of elite talent aligning with opportunity and player development.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Each module covered a 36° segment of the ring, approximating the continuous boundary predicted by theory.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Dec. 2025
Verb
Only the handful of relegation-proof Premier League clubs have anything approximating US sport franchise valuations, because everyone else’s value could evaporate as a result of a bad season or two.
—Andrés Martinez, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
In the field of cosmology, approximating dark energy with a cosmological constant has been remarkably successful since its presence was first revealed in the late 1990s.
—Big Think, 1 Apr. 2026
The authors suggest that the Democratic preference, approximating a more native pronunciation, was motivated by greater multicultural sensitivity.
—Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
But he is also credited with the invention of a screw water pump — still used in power plants today — and a means of approximating pi, among many other things.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
In these walls of white noise, Martin channels Paysage d’Hiver, a Swiss black-metal artist who has made a whole career—and a lot of lore—out of approximating winter storms through blindingly white guitar fuzz and overwhelming dark-ambient atmospheres.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
In the others, researchers cranked up the heat in greenhouses, approximating the effects of global warming.
—Drew Kann, AJC.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The ideal scenario would see Wiggins approximating what Horton did this year, but that was a unique case of elite talent aligning with opportunity and player development.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Each module covered a 36° segment of the ring, approximating the continuous boundary predicted by theory.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximating
Adjective
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Ye wasn’t far behind with 152,000 equivalent units moved.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
On Friday, Iranian officials issued a public plea for locals to find the American crew member, offering a reward equivalent to $60,000, according to official and semi-official Iranian news organizations.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Home surveillance footage showed the coyote come up behind the little boy as he was turned away, unaware of the wild animal approaching him.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The sea lion breeding and pupping season is fast approaching at main rookeries such as the Channel Islands, according to Giancarlo Rulli, associate director of public relations for the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Why is a woman artist selling for one price when a comparable male artist is at a completely different level?—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Other candidates The rest of the field, for the most part, does not appear to have secured as many high-profile endorsements or raised comparable campaign funding.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Denver had the state’s second-largest population loss last year at 978, reflecting net domestic outflows of 8,023, less a natural increase of 4,197, and continued immigration of 2,871.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
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The third was to free the Iranian people from a brutally oppressive government and move the country toward democratic representation reflecting the aspirations and talents of its 90 million people.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Most of the candidates’ pledges, such as tackling unaffordability, reducing gas prices, increasing capacity in state prisons, protecting gun owners’ rights and keeping trans athletes out of girls’ locker rooms, are nearly identical.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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His numbers are nearly identical to last year’s campaign and Oklahoma City has the best record in basketball.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The left-hander gave up eight runs — matching his career high — on 10 hits and two walks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
This matching linen-blend set makes getting dressed a breeze.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These are not real feelings, Anthropic’s researchers emphasized, but patterns in the model’s neural activations that guide its responses, shaping decisions, preferences, and outputs in ways loosely analogous to human emotions.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Compared to last year, arrests were down 14% citywide over an analogous 30-day spring break period, according to Miami Beach police.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bold plans shine when rest gets equal respect.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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While early research suggests potential benefits, much of the evidence remains limited – and not all adaptogen products are created equal.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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