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
The barometers for our rankings include Opta’s projections for the remainder of their campaign, the teams’ performances in 2025-26, relative squad strength and their history in the competition.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
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
The Gallup Presidential Approval Rating has for decades been the among the top barometers cited by media outlets measuring public opinion of the president’s performance.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 11 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
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
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
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
The Gallup Presidential Approval Rating has for decades been the among the top barometers cited by media outlets measuring public opinion of the president’s performance.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 11 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barometers
Noun
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Consumer advocates said the findings support SB 1076, a bill that would require insurers to offer coverage to homeowners who meet state fire safety standards.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In response, rental companies are implementing stricter cleaning standards, higher security deposits, and more surveillance.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The district must meet specific exit criteria before local control is restored.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
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That involves patients themselves taking a lethal drink or medication that has been prescribed by a doctor to patients who meet certain criteria.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Shortly after his 19-minute speech, Asian markets reversed earlier gains from Thursday's session, as benchmarks in Australia, Japan and South Korea fell.—
Lim Hui Jie,Anniek Bao,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
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European dealmakers outperformed their regional benchmarks and were among the strongest performers globally during the first quarter of 2026.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet by some metrics, stocks were already considered expensive prior to the hostilities.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
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Their metrics and editorial strategies are different.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barometers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barometers. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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