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barometers

noun

plural of barometer
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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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 barometers Wood, barometers, and portraits bring warmth, history, and Southern personality. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 7 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barometers
  1. standards
  2. criteria
  3. benchmarks
  4. metrics
Noun
  • This could simplify operations for carriers that operate aircraft with both engine standards.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The Senate has been addressing this week nominee confirmations and a bipartisan college sports bill to create standards on how athletes are paid, priorities that Republicans warn present poor optics to voters.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • Earlier this summer, CalMatters reported only one research institute in California appeared to meet the criteria included in the measure for the nonprofit that would be awarded half the bond proceeds.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The company has since been working on separate criteria for reporting cases that do not qualify as conventional security incidents.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of criteria
Noun
  • The team said its coring efficiency, sample quality, and operational stability reached advanced IODP benchmarks.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The method substantially improved performance on two low-light benchmarks, although the broader challenge is far from solved.
    — Bo Wang, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of benchmarks
Noun
  • Different metrics, from profitability to market share, could yield a different result to the question.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Population metrics aside, there’s a German word that goes a long way toward explaining why so many people seem to enjoy watching the Cowboys every fall—especially when Dallas is on the wrong end of a loss.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of metrics

Browse Nearby Words

barometer
barometers
baron
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Cite this Entry

“Barometers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barometers. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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