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
Investors and borrowers will instead focus on Wednesday's release of the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections, a report that distills the FOMC's forecasts for unemployment, GDP growth and other barometers.
—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
That’s what makes pilots the best barometers for how well a piece of luggage works.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
The mercury barometers in the observers’ office — one of which the observatory believes to be the oldest such instrument in active daily use in the United States — are a case in point.
—
Laura Martin Agudelo,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
And assets under management are poor barometers of a venture fund’s success, generally.
—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
That’s what makes pilots the best barometers for how well a piece of luggage works.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
The mercury barometers in the observers’ office — one of which the observatory believes to be the oldest such instrument in active daily use in the United States — are a case in point.
—
Laura Martin Agudelo,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
And assets under management are poor barometers of a venture fund’s success, generally.
—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barometers
Noun
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The United Kingdom is on course for its sixth prime minister in some seven years, as one political leader after another proves no match for a stubbornly weak economy, which has weighed on incomes and living standards, wearing down the electorate.
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The sheriff said the agency remains committed to transparency, professionalism and ethical standards.
Noun
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Personalized messaging, clear criteria and occasional human touchpoints can go a long way.
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Chrysler and Dodge didn’t meet the study’s award criteria.
Noun
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The authors recommended that the US government and its commercial and international partners establish benchmarks for interpreting hostile behavior in space.
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The benchmarks that matter for this argument are the security ones.
Noun
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This year also highlighted a change in how creator value is measured; traditional metrics like followers and views are diminishing in importance.
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The city also collected no other performance metrics because the pilot was meant to test the robot before any expansion.
Cite this Entry
“Barometers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barometers. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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