BENCHMARK Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

benchmark

noun

ˈbench-ˌmärk

as in standard

something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared this prize-winning biography will be the benchmark against which all others will be judged in future years

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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 benchmark Both benchmarks have now been reached, service data shows. —

Steven Beynon, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026 Brent crude oil, a global price benchmark, rose from around $70 per barrel before the war began to as high as $118 per barrel at the end of March. —

Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026 As a result, the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, has spiked, hovering around $100 a barrel in recent weeks. —

Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026 Spot prices reflect real-time market trading and serve as a benchmark for futures contracts, ETFs and retail bullion pricing. —

Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for benchmark

Recent Examples of Synonyms for benchmark

Noun

So, in a general process of professionalization that changed the way that music was experienced, raising standards while widening the gap between expert and amateur, the mandolin fell out of fashion.

— Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Brent crude oil, the international standard, has gone from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.

— Brian Dakss, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026