as in similar
having qualities in common
parallel lives of two friends who first met in college
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in similarity
a point which two or more things share in common
her professor pointed out some parallels between the two novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
an advance that is without parallel in the history of virology
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to match
to be the exact counterpart of
developments in the television show paralleled those in the lead actor's real life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 parallel
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
The series spends its first season building toward two discoveries that run on parallel tracks.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
Keach, 77, saw parallels to his own life.
—Steve Bloom, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Fire Island, the sandbar that parallels the south shore of Long Island for 32 miles, is home to more than a dozen communities, each with its own style.
—Fred A. Bernstein, Architectural Digest, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for parallel
Adjective
The major thoroughfare runs parallel to the sea (el mar) and is home to many beachfront rental properties.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
The series spends its first season building toward two discoveries that run on parallel tracks.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Noun
Ras Terms, however, sees the parallels between graffiti and the game itself, something that’s intertwined to the very exhibit itself.
—Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
Keach, 77, saw parallels to his own life.
—Steve Bloom, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Verb
The new study parallels recent research examining how the same shift in peanut allergy guidance has led to a reduction in the prevalence of peanut allergy among children.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Fire Island, the sandbar that parallels the south shore of Long Island for 32 miles, is home to more than a dozen communities, each with its own style.
—Fred A. Bernstein, Architectural Digest, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for parallel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallel
Adjective
-
As a result, many working-class Korean and Latino immigrant households lived side by side and often confronted similar challenges, including substandard housing conditions, landlord abuses and underfunded public schools.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Curaçao’s next opponent, Ecuador, faced a similar loss, falling short to Cote D’Ivoire in its first World Cup match.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The conversation reveals surprising similarities between the women, who have both endured personal loss, family turmoil and the pressures of running large ranching operations.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
-
Upon landing the part of Charlie Florek and learning the source material, Bradway finished Fortune’s Every Summer After novel in a single day, along the way noting physical similarities to Charlie, like his green eyes and love for the outdoors.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Galen, known as the father of modern medicine, started out as a doctor for gladiators—the equivalent of a residency on The Pitt.—
Cullen Murphy,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
-
College football has no equivalent.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
In the British social calendar, no event quite matches the prestige, pageantry and formal dress protocols of Royal Ascot.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
-
Investigators also matched Mangione’s fingerprints to those found on a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper near the scene of the killing, officials said.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Branding experts have lately been posing an analogous question to their clients about Generation Alpha, roughly defined as anyone under the age of 15.—
Greg Petro,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
He was asked why there hasn’t been analogous progress by the men’s national team.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
MacFarlane knew the audience wasn’t expecting an exact resemblance but still wanted to get as close as possible.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
The workspace from which Hugo runs the liberation group bears a peculiar resemblance to a movie studio.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Mirroring their onscreen counterparts, Snow takes a highly analytical approach to her craft, while Akerman relies more on instinct.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
-
The two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner succeeded his French counterpart in 2014 as head coach of Ivory Coast following its group stage exit at the World Cup.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
McGeady’s career was not, in the nicest possible way, comparable to Ronaldinho, but the two-touch spin became his trademark and will be familiar to gamers, as well as to Celtic, Spartak Moscow, Everton and Sunderland fans.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Sources interviewed for this story said that broadly speaking, prices remain high for contemporary works, despite the fact that comparable works can often be found for considerably less at auction.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parallel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallel. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
