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
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
Adjective
  • The company will maintain the older system until its newer model gains equivalent capabilities.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Ottawa says Canadian merchandise exports to China have risen 41 percent so far in 2026 compared with the equivalent period last year.
    — Rich Percival, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Two days later, a neighbor’s doorbell camera picked up video of a man matching Sapov’s description approaching the victim’s door while wearing a full-face rubber mask.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
  • With less than an hour before polls close in most parts of Texas, voters who received mail-in ballots are also approaching an important deadline.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The private screening model has not been used at an airport with Atlanta's passenger volume, leaving no comparable transition to evaluate.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Calls the budget provision forcing municipalities to repay NCDOT hypocritical, pointing to roughly $40 million in design costs wiped out by the PAVE Act with no comparable clawback.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • In the days leading up to and after the midterms, DeSantis has ramped up his media appearances, reflecting on what went wrong for the Republican Party in this year's cycle.
    — Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • By the third quarter of this year, manufacturing capacity for solar modules, wind blades and nacelles had expanded by roughly 50% from the first quarter of 2025, reflecting new facilities that have come online, the CIM reported in October.
    — Bob Woods, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The three teams had identical district records, split their head-to-head games and had the exact same point differential.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Cross-border investors rarely start with identical expectations.
    — Anas Bhairi, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The share peaked at 34 percent during the pandemic before dipping slightly, but by 2025 had risen again to 33 percent, nearly matching pandemic-era levels.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Emmett Johnson made a strong runway statement in a boucle denim jacket ($245) and matching relaxed fit jeans ($215) by British luxury label Maniere de Voir, known for its fashion-forward, contemporary fashion.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • Thelema included three principal gods — Nuit, Hadit, and Ra Hoor Khuit — who are described as being analogous to the ancient Egyptian gods Isis, Osiris, and Horus.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Op de Beeck lauds it as an icon of midcentury design analogous to an Eames chair, and the product of exacting skill and patience.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are trolling road fans in equal measure.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
  • That’s equal to one third of the total $3 billion she’s helped steward over the years.
    — Kyla Mandel, Time, 9 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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