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
  • On July 2, 2025, a burst with energy equivalent to 1,000 suns blazing for 10 billion years lit up Fermi’s detectors, heading from a dusty galaxy about eight billion light-years from Earth.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The mod could help fill a void since AMD has no DLSS 5 equivalent.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Angle of attack refers to the angle between an aircraft wing and the airflow approaching it.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • With midterm elections and the holiday season approaching, more prospective issuers could opt to wait until early 2027.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The physiological case for a brief dunk is, by her own account, comparable.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
  • According to Inception, Mercury 3 is more than 40 times larger than its first-generation model, Mercury 1, while maintaining comparable processing speeds.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Danielle announced her new role in an Instagram video shared Thursday, reflecting on her relationship with her aunt and her plans to help preserve the singer's legacy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Google said the changes followed its long-standing policy of reflecting official government sources and showing different names for bodies of water by country.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Currently the Swingers menus are more or less identical across both locations, though Wilson expects to introduce unique daily specials at each.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • During the 1998 Massachusetts governor’s race, political scientist Ted Brader ran a study that embedded campaign ads in a news broadcast and changed only the music and images, keeping the words identical.
    — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Paltrow has a knack for finding unique, instantly covetable pieces, and her charcoal gray cardigan with a matching thin scarf is no exception.
    — Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Layering a vest under a blazer or coat in a similar, but not totally matching, hue can actually look even more intentional if styled well.
    — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Canada retaliated with its own set of near-analogous duties on more than $20 billion in American goods in early September.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Bayzo's pub is analogous to an English tavern, with creamy cups of clam chowder and a piano likely to launch you into Elton John renditions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, in today’s market, not all extraits are created equal, according to the Nez report, with some more about marketing than others.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The tape—equal parts Julia’s War sampler, TAGABOW B-sides showcase, and assembly of rising stars—savvily presents all the hats Dulgarian simultaneously wears.
    — Abby Jones, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Approximating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximating. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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