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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 benchmarks
In a report released Friday, Warshaw said the Oakland Police Department had met all 51 benchmarks needed to escape federal court oversight — an achievement never before reached by the department.
—
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Both of those benchmarks should be shattered this season, barring the nagging injuries that have plagued his otherwise prolific career.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Based on an investment simulation that the researchers ran, a portfolio of companies with high workplace well‑being could outperform against standard market benchmarks.
—Bill Howatt, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Anthropic said the model shows improvements across coding, reasoning, and agentic benchmarks while also becoming more transparent about uncertainty.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
According to the proposal, the tax would apply to clubs that fail to meet minimum payroll benchmarks, reportedly teams spending less than $150 million.
—Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
On the investment side, many individual investors have historically underperformed market benchmarks by material margins.
—Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Porter highlighted that the state should focus on ensuring students meet the educational benchmarks needed to succeed.
—James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Success means using data, best practices, and clear performance benchmarks to evaluate programs and investments, and adjusting course when something is not working.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Both of those benchmarks should be shattered this season, barring the nagging injuries that have plagued his otherwise prolific career.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Based on an investment simulation that the researchers ran, a portfolio of companies with high workplace well‑being could outperform against standard market benchmarks.
—Bill Howatt, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Anthropic said the model shows improvements across coding, reasoning, and agentic benchmarks while also becoming more transparent about uncertainty.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
According to the proposal, the tax would apply to clubs that fail to meet minimum payroll benchmarks, reportedly teams spending less than $150 million.
—Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
On the investment side, many individual investors have historically underperformed market benchmarks by material margins.
—Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Porter highlighted that the state should focus on ensuring students meet the educational benchmarks needed to succeed.
—James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Success means using data, best practices, and clear performance benchmarks to evaluate programs and investments, and adjusting course when something is not working.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benchmarks
Noun
-
His other, more conservative but still expressive sets for RCA comprised a joint project with Coleman Hawkins, a recital of familiar bop tunes and a collection of standards.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
As a 42-year-old mom, my standards are admittedly high.—
Jill Layton,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
The Justice Department hasn’t formed the five-member commission that will decide on payout criteria, so there has been no money paid out yet or claims accepted.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
And a few weeks after that, the insurer went even further, changing its coverage policy to include deep brain stimulation for some children and teens who meet clinical criteria.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, MongoDB also posted a first-quarter beat for all three metrics.—
Davis Giangiulio,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
Framing had been a weakness in Smith’s game in recent seasons, according to Statcast’s catching metrics.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Benchmarks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benchmarks. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
