gauge 1 of 2

variants also gage

gauge

2 of 2

noun

variants also gage

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun gauge contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gauge are criterion, standard, touchstone, and yardstick. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When is criterion a more appropriate choice than gauge?

While the synonyms criterion and gauge are close in meaning, criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

When could standard be used to replace gauge?

While in some cases nearly identical to gauge, standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

Where would touchstone be a reasonable alternative to gauge?

The synonyms touchstone and gauge are sometimes interchangeable, but touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

How are the words yardstick and criterion related as synonyms of gauge?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

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 gauge
Verb
Friday's market action was not helped by the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge failing to extinguish price pressures as a concern. Morgan Chittum,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025 Future releases will include the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index and Real Final Sales to Private Domestic Purchasers, a metric seen as a gauge of economic demand. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Officials cited several ways to gauge residents’ interest, including surveys, community workshops, social media or another advisory referendum in the spring. Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025 Langdon has been clear about going into the 2025 offseason prioritizing patience and giving his young players enough runway to gauge their potential. Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gauge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gauge
Verb
  • The payments are calculated to increase by 5% every year.
    George Petras, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania professor who specializes in homelessness and housing policy, calculated that the number of men older than 60 living in shelters roughly tripled from 2000 to 2020.
    Felice J. Freyer, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After the mysterious deaths of the two diamondback rattlesnakes, Cardwell dug up temperature data from a 20-year-old study in the Mojave Desert to help develop a mathematical model for measuring what might be happening inside the desert burrows.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Trades finalize in three to five seconds, enabling near-instant payment finality, and transaction fees are measured in fractions of a cent.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Bilosi says one surefire indicator of uneven extraction is deep channeling in the coffee bed that looks like someone burrowed a few narrow holes all the way down.
    Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The rump and the ears are other indicators.
    Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Bush's comments became cultural touchstones for government failure, widely mocked and criticized.
    Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
  • In Aronofsky’s cinematic universe, the ability to endure physical punishment functions as a touchstone for power, and, in his best work, torment takes on an intensely intimate dimension, creating extreme contrast with the larger dramatic landscape on which the action is stretched.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • When a nuclear missile is launched at the United States, White House officials scramble to figure who's responsible and how to respond in a drama featuring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso and Jared Harris.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • And both backs figure to get plenty of opportunities again this week against Eastern Washington.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Just turn one handle to make Yoshi run with Mario on his back or turn the dial behind Yoshi’s head to pop his tongue in and out.
    John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
  • With the newer Portico model, Couët managed to conceal the whole mechanism in the dial in a true feat of horological ingenuity.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Sissy was the aunt of Patricia Arquette’s Harmony Cobel and is a deep believer in the principles of Lumon.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The principles were conveyed to Hamas, the officials said, which has not yet issued a response.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • South Korea estimates that some 2,000 North Korean troops died defending Kursk against a cross-border incursion by Ukraine.
    Robert Birsel Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The final bid is estimated to be between $40,000 and $80,000 for the 50th anniversary prop.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gauge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gauge. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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