as in standards
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
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Recent Examples of benchmarks
Publish benchmarks, timelines, and consequences.
—
Tharo Khun, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Engagement without benchmarks can become a reward for inertia.
—Ricardo Torres, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Once it was completed, Quick's fears were confirmed — her daughter wasn't hitting the right benchmarks.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Both benchmarks extended declines of more than $1 from the previous trading session, as market participants expected ample global supply this year.
—Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
The data suggests that current manufacturing benchmarks are shifting toward high-throughput, low-cost production models that do not compromise the operational lifespan of the battery system.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
On Monday stateside, all three key benchmarks rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average clocking a new all-time high in the session.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Illinois should follow that lead rather than masking weak outcomes with lower benchmarks.
—Bruce Rauner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
But last spring, the Kansas State Board of Education restored the district to full accreditation based on school officials’ plan for meeting state academic benchmarks.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Tharo Khun, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Engagement without benchmarks can become a reward for inertia.
—Ricardo Torres, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Once it was completed, Quick's fears were confirmed — her daughter wasn't hitting the right benchmarks.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Both benchmarks extended declines of more than $1 from the previous trading session, as market participants expected ample global supply this year.
—Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
The data suggests that current manufacturing benchmarks are shifting toward high-throughput, low-cost production models that do not compromise the operational lifespan of the battery system.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
On Monday stateside, all three key benchmarks rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average clocking a new all-time high in the session.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Illinois should follow that lead rather than masking weak outcomes with lower benchmarks.
—Bruce Rauner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
But last spring, the Kansas State Board of Education restored the district to full accreditation based on school officials’ plan for meeting state academic benchmarks.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benchmarks
Noun
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Capping those rates could backfire, resulting in significantly stricter lending standards and making credit unavailable to lower-income people or those with lower credit scores.—
Luciana Lopez,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Beyond money, other issues expected to be hammered out in CBA talks include the length of the season, facility and travel standards, retirement benefits and changes to rookie deals.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
It was later determined, however, that the case did not meet authorities' acceptance criteria at the time.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Prosecutors said last weekend that the legal criteria to detain the bar's owners had so far not been met.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Other metrics indicate more optimism under Sudani's administration.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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And teams utilize tracking systems, such as Trackman and Rapsodo, that measure pitch speed, spin rate, and other key metrics.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benchmarks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benchmarks. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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