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
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
  1. equivalent
  2. approaching
  3. comparable
  4. reflecting
  5. identical
  6. matching
  7. analogous
  8. equal
Adjective
  • The major problem law enforcement officials have with cannabis is that currently there’s no blood alcohol content equivalent like there is with alcohol.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers did not find equivalent evidence that introverted participants preferred an introverted AI.
    — Paul Jones, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of equivalent
Verb
  • Edouard is approaching the same region impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur in June and Tropical Storm Bertha in July.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This coexistence of the everyday and the extraordinary suggested to me a cinematic way of approaching death – not as a spectacular intrusion, but as a presence that slowly infiltrates daily life.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of approaching
Adjective
  • But with the important exception of Somalia and large parts of West Africa, jihadi groups have not managed a mobilization comparable with the ones after the 2003 Iraq War or during the rise of the Islamic State.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Ministerial salaries had increasingly fallen behind comparable earnings in the private sector and civil service, making a review necessary, Wong said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of comparable
Verb
  • The first Chinese cargo ship traveling along the Northern Sea Route is set to dock in England this week, reflecting Beijing’s growing Arctic ambitions, though analysts cast doubt on the venture’s commercial feasibility.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Populist anti-immigrant parties also made major gains in the 2024 elections for the European Union parliament, reflecting their growing support across the 27-nation bloc.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of reflecting
Adjective
  • The Pauli exclusion principle prevents identical fermions from occupying the same quantum state.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The agents also allegedly impersonated a moderator on the wiki, using an identical Cyrillic е character in the admin's username instead of the Latin one.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of identical
Verb
  • Winfrey wore an all-white outfit consisting of a tweed jacket layered over a white tee, which was tucked into matching pants.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Testing competing superconductors under matching conditions can help isolate differences caused by the materials themselves.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of matching
Adjective
  • That suggests the possibility of traffic strategies targeting such neighborhoods, analogous to child safety efforts focused on schools and their surroundings.
    — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • This event is analogous to one geologists observed in 2021, known as the Chamoli disaster in India.
    — Thor Benson, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of analogous
Adjective
  • At the time, NBA commissioner Adam Silver declared the change was intended to signal that the WNBA held equal stature with other major professional leagues.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Australia Prime Minister $448,819 A$239,270 parliamentary base plus a PM supplement equal to 160% of base.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of equal

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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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