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
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
During these tests, the platform demonstrated its ability to perform tasks in conditions approximating real combat scenarios.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
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
During these tests, the platform demonstrated its ability to perform tasks in conditions approximating real combat scenarios.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximating
Adjective
-
The Great Divide had healthy physical sales, around 175,000; however, streaming led the Vermont native’s ascent to the top — streaming units comprised 212,000 of the total 389,000 first week equivalent album units.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
3 May 2026
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The country also retains significant tanker capacity — equivalent to roughly 37 very large crude carriers — both inside and outside the blockade.—
Anthony Di Paola,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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By the time selling experimental and theraputic peptides to people who had watched athletes on steroids race for a million dollars was no longer a fever dream but an approaching reality, D’Souza felt his work was done.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Orders of protection barring him from approaching his victims were issued, prosecutors said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Teamsters Local 727, which represents animal care specialists, groundskeepers, patrol officers, seasonals, aides, and custodians, said the zoo's latest contract offer would take away their current health care plans without providing a comparable alternative.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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The idea is to deal with a heavily armored or deeply buried target by dropping a bomb that is hard enough and heavy enough to plunge through yards of earth and stone to deliver a staggering blast comparable to a seismic event.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 May 2026
Verb
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However, the Estée Lauder color brand declined 25 percent, reflecting a tough comparison base compared to the same time last year.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Malloy notes that the practice has expanded its reach through telehealth while also introducing in-person services in response to patient preferences, reflecting an adaptive, hybrid model.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Leonard had a similar shot for the Raptors that won a series, but the bounce off the heel of the rim and in was nearly identical to Haliburton’s for the Indiana Pacers last year.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 May 2026
-
Many of the Huayuan fossils look similar, if not identical, to those in the Burgess Shale, indicating that these marine ecosystems were connected by global ocean currents.—
Marlowe Starling,
Quanta Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Decked out in matching Route 66 button-up shirts that featured a map of the iconic road, the married couple set out on a road trip to celebrate the centennial.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Trump’s order coincides with the coming launch of the Saver’s Match, a 2022 initiative of the Biden administration that delivers up to $1,000 a year in matching retirement contributions for lower-income workers.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An analogous argument, albeit in the context of children and teenagers, was recently brought against Meta and other social media companies.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
What’s going on there is analogous to what the oil business did in Houston and Dallas.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet this didn’t leave the warring empires on equal footing.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Challenges outside the operating room Not every person with advanced disease has an equal shot at a new organ, and not everyone in America has an equal likelihood of needing one.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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