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
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 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
  • Know More The Pentagon has negotiated equity or some equivalent, like warrants, in at least 10 companies since Cerberus cofounder Steve Feinberg was confirmed as deputy defense secretary last year.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In their Monday note, the analysts did not turn completely bearish, maintaining their hold-equivalent neutral rating.
    Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • With long-term Treasury yields surging, mortgage rates are approaching levels that could further erode affordability.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Concerns about affordability have taken a leading role in the fast-approaching midterm elections.
    Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • National Hurricane Center data shows that Polo has reached speeds comparable to only a few hurricanes to form in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia in 2015, which reached 215 mph.
    DESIREE BROOKS, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Fusion signatures face scrutiny The researchers also found temperature differences between the active reactor and a calibration device operating under comparable input-power conditions.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, is pushing back on Buckingham Palace about the rare royal reaction to his book reflecting on his sister and his memories of Britain's royal family.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The titular Morro is a dog, reflecting Garcia Saiz’s own lifelong connection with the animal.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Instead, two coaches making almost identical money were standing on opposite sidelines Saturday night trying to revive two programs with almost identical problems.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The standing-room-only meeting was full of people wearing identical caps.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Pukar, as well as Renegade Insurance CEO Rashik Adhikari, launched a relief drive, matching donations up to $20,000 to the government’s relief effort.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • According to South Bend authorities, Notre Dame Police told them a male suspect was seen armed and reportedly pointing a gun at people, but when South Bend Police found a suspect matching their description, the person was unarmed.
    Eric Mack, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
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
Adjective
  • The personification of liberal feminism, Gloria Steinem galvanized the movement for equal rights and taught millions of women to advocate for themselves at work and at home.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The autumnal equinox marks the start of astronomical fall and occurs when both hemispheres receive equal sunlight.
    Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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