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
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
Reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion in its nightmarish depiction of an unraveling mind, Vicious, which was initially slated for a theatrical release but is instead streaming on Paramount+, doesn’t come close to approximating its greatness.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
For decades, physicists have attempted to do so by approximating the quantum field as a discrete lattice of points.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion in its nightmarish depiction of an unraveling mind, Vicious, which was initially slated for a theatrical release but is instead streaming on Paramount+, doesn’t come close to approximating its greatness.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
For decades, physicists have attempted to do so by approximating the quantum field as a discrete lattice of points.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximating
Adjective
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Musk outlined a bold target of generating a terawatt—equivalent to one million megawatts—of compute capacity annually.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).—
Keith Caulfield,
Billboard,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Security footage widely shared online shows a man wearing a black beanie, sunglasses, a green tank top and brown shorts approaching Moo Deng and her mother, Jona, while holding a tablet, apparently recording or taking photos.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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And an even more powerful next generation of medicines is quickly approaching, churning out trial results – including some new ones Thursday – that leave current options in the dust in terms of efficacy.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Fat burning is likely comparable between intermittent fasting and the keto diet, but intermittent fasting may be more sustainable in the long term.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
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Chalamet previously won the comparable category at the Golden Globes, but Jordan's Actor Awards win signaled a potential repeat victory at the Oscars.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other local Chicano cultural and movement leaders were also reflecting on what to do next, and on the need for solidarity with victims.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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The service Service is friendly, but informal, reflecting the relaxed Malibu energy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Their hair is the same color and the beat is identical, which is particularly impressive given that Jane had the oldest skin to work with.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
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Collaboration tools like Live Share allow developers to edit and debug code together in real time without needing identical local environments.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Guest rooms will feature interactive elements, games matching the floor theme, and a variety of new tech upgrades, including smart TVs in Hilton Connected Rooms and upgraded Wi-Fi throughout the property.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
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Aligning these assets with capable and motivated partners will benefit both drug developers and patients — and matching them carefully with capable entrepreneurial stakeholders could benefit both patients and investors.—
Annette Bakker,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Psychologist William Anthony, a pioneer of psychiatric rehabilitation, described the purpose and values of this approach as analogous to physical rehabilitation.—
Adrienne Lapidos,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
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The situation is roughly analogous to tracking the credit card payments used to pay for a car’s fuel.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Newton’s third law of motion, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction, is the basis for many applications in the world.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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This equal parts cocktail may knock you on your ass.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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