as in equivalents
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
a basketball player who truly has no equal in his sport
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in meets
to produce something equal to (as in quality or value)
no one has equaled Shakespeare's plays
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in means
to be the same in meaning or effect
being confined to home for a whole weekend would equal a death sentence in the minds of a lot of teens
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in matches
to be the exact counterpart of
in the British system a public school equals an American prep school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of equals
Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
In the courtroom, Waldman has few equals.
—William Jones, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The Supreme Leader has no equals Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and remains the country’s highest political and religious authority, with ultimate control over military, security and strategic decisions.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Bloomberg News was the first to report the talks between the two companies were at an advanced stage and that they could be billed as a merger of equals.
—Reuters, 30 Jan. 2026
This notion of the Swedish welfare state as having been built by equals, by an initial largely rural and poor population, arguably distracted these pensioners from questions of wealth accumulation.
—Miranda Sheild Johansson, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
The wealth-equals-health dynamic played out glaringly in Orange County during the pandemic.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Before the war, other governments could at least claim to be Washington’s equals.
—Caleb Pomeroy, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2025
Reczek told Newsweek in an email that one of the primary reasons families become estranged is because adult children aren't treated as equals by their parents.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
More gluten formation equals more chew.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
The review board has released 40 cases so far, which equals thousands of pages of records.
—Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
One tube equals one full treatment for longer hair; shorter styles can stretch it across multiple uses.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026
But the idea that chocolate equals romance isn't accidental.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Positive employee feedback equals recognition.
—Bob Helbig, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 10 Feb. 2026
For Spotify, though, the basic math there is that a million streams equals $3,000.
—Marah Eakin, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
Based on estimates from the treasurer, that equals about $174 million.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
Yet given the power differential between China and Canada—or, for that matter, between China and any NATO ally other than the United States—such a partnership will not be among equals.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
In the courtroom, Waldman has few equals.
—William Jones, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The Supreme Leader has no equals Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and remains the country’s highest political and religious authority, with ultimate control over military, security and strategic decisions.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Bloomberg News was the first to report the talks between the two companies were at an advanced stage and that they could be billed as a merger of equals.
—Reuters, 30 Jan. 2026
This notion of the Swedish welfare state as having been built by equals, by an initial largely rural and poor population, arguably distracted these pensioners from questions of wealth accumulation.
—Miranda Sheild Johansson, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
The wealth-equals-health dynamic played out glaringly in Orange County during the pandemic.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Before the war, other governments could at least claim to be Washington’s equals.
—Caleb Pomeroy, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2025
Reczek told Newsweek in an email that one of the primary reasons families become estranged is because adult children aren't treated as equals by their parents.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
The state’s current correctional system has a 40% vacancy rate which equals approximately 2800 vacant positions that has been vacant for the last six months.
—Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
More gluten formation equals more chew.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
The review board has released 40 cases so far, which equals thousands of pages of records.
—Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
One tube equals one full treatment for longer hair; shorter styles can stretch it across multiple uses.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026
But the idea that chocolate equals romance isn't accidental.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Positive employee feedback equals recognition.
—Bob Helbig, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 10 Feb. 2026
For Spotify, though, the basic math there is that a million streams equals $3,000.
—Marah Eakin, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
Based on estimates from the treasurer, that equals about $174 million.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equals
Noun
-
And while these drugs are discounted from their list prices, nearly half of the medications on TrumpRx have generic equivalents that can be purchased elsewhere, often at lower prices.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The experience of liking seems to be triggered by different neurotransmitters, most likely endorphins and endocannabinoids (the natural equivalents of heroin and cannabis, respectively).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Senate Appropriations Committee meets to discuss the state’s amended 2026 budget.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Five different characters sing their hearts out, and each performer meets the vocal and emotional demands of their star turn with both power and subtlety.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That means potential payoffs but also extreme danger.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
What this means for global luxury The lesson of the Fire Horse year goes beyond its symbolism.—
Yiling Pan,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Looking for the balance of gases in the atmosphere that matches the balance of today would be an example of overly restricting our search to planets that are similar to Earth in a way that would exclude most Earth-like planets throughout Earth’s entire history.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
17 Feb. 2026
-
If the product information matches the recall, stop feeding it to your baby immediately.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And though light-wash jeans tend to lean more casual and suitable for daytime than their dark-wash counterparts, there are still endless ways to style the wardrobe staple for a night out.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Anode-free lithium-ion batteries promise even higher energy density than their anode-containing counterparts, and at a lower cost.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
China’s domestic regulation of AI surpasses the efforts of most other countries in the world, in part because of its longstanding censorship apparatus.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
People would generally agree that of all the mainstream country stars out there now, no one surpasses you as far as really having an appreciation and aptitude for bluegrass.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To me, a vision brings alignment — internally with our staff, and externally with our customers, stakeholders, and partners.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Collaboration with the school district and community partners helps ensure that our goals are aligned and our impact is meaningful.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At nearly 6 millimeters, Megabathynella totemensis genuinely earns the title among its peers.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
William Blair initiates Stryker at outperform William Blair says the medical technology company is best positioned among peers.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Equals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equals. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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