as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared
a legendary Broadway flop that has subsequently become the barometer by which failure in the theater is judged
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Recent Examples of barometers
Besides, the issue is further complicated by the fact that there are so many barometers of greatness.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Look at all economic barometers, social gains, and life span increases.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
And special elections, while useful metrics, are far from perfect barometers of public opinion.
—Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
When personal narratives dominate the news cycle, social platforms act as real-time barometers for public curiosity.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Part trade show, part cultural gathering, Pitti Uomo remains one of the clearest barometers of where men’s fashion is headed next.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Champions provide barometers, perhaps few like Oklahoma City, which threatens the league with a decade-long runway of contendership.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
With hundreds of millions of workers hunting for jobs and employers posting open roles in real time, LinkedIn acts as one of the clearest barometers of what’s actually happening on the ground—and its managing director for EMEA, Sue Duke, is not buying the AI apocalypse narrative.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
Why are both movies potential barometers for the future?
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Look at all economic barometers, social gains, and life span increases.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
And special elections, while useful metrics, are far from perfect barometers of public opinion.
—Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
When personal narratives dominate the news cycle, social platforms act as real-time barometers for public curiosity.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Part trade show, part cultural gathering, Pitti Uomo remains one of the clearest barometers of where men’s fashion is headed next.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Champions provide barometers, perhaps few like Oklahoma City, which threatens the league with a decade-long runway of contendership.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
With hundreds of millions of workers hunting for jobs and employers posting open roles in real time, LinkedIn acts as one of the clearest barometers of what’s actually happening on the ground—and its managing director for EMEA, Sue Duke, is not buying the AI apocalypse narrative.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
Why are both movies potential barometers for the future?
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barometers
Noun
-
Can software alone meet safety standards once defined by mechanical systems?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The Downey Fire Department rescue vehicle that responded was not equipped with a Tremco anti-theft locking device required under state law and applicable Fire Department standards, the family’s attorneys argue.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The White House officials said federal agencies can incorporate best practices on housing regulations as a criteria for rewarding discretionary grants to state and local governments.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The criteria for gubernatorial candidates to participate considered opinion polling and campaign fund raising.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
A good deal for flights from major US cities to Europe this summer would be $600 roundtrip and about $900 roundtrip from smaller cities, according to Going's data—helpful benchmarks to keep in mind when researching and comparing fares.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
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Natural gas, jet fuel and international oil benchmarks have also jumped significantly.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There is a tendency at this time of the year to blind-resume compare – to throw up two schools with all their metrics and argue who does and doesn’t belong in the tournament.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
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More research is needed to prove these metrics are valid and reliable enough to be used in patient care, the APA’s paper said, and other researchers have raised questions about how their use could affect health care costs, insurance coverage, and patient privacy.—
Jamie Ducharme,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barometers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barometers. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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