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
Natasha Turak,emma Graham, CNBC, 29 July 2025
Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori has unveiled the line-up for its 22nd edition.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 July 2025
Edith M. Lederer, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Although our settings differed, our experiences shared striking parallels.
—Timothy Holtz, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
The report misses the portions (Central Avenue) going through the University of New Mexico campus, downtown Albuquerque and historic sites and the part that parallels the Rio Grande to Santa Fe.
—Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for parallel
Adjective
Hezbollah’s parallel governance strategy, operating as both a political party and sub-state group, has enabled it to survive and grow as an armed group for decades.
—Natasha Turak,emma Graham, CNBC, 29 July 2025
Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori has unveiled the line-up for its 22nd edition.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 July 2025
Noun
French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a broader movement toward a two-state solution in parallel with a recognition of Israel’s right to defend itself.
—Edith M. Lederer, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Although our settings differed, our experiences shared striking parallels.
—Timothy Holtz, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Verb
The improvement with college students parallels Trump's boost with Hispanic voters.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
The report misses the portions (Central Avenue) going through the University of New Mexico campus, downtown Albuquerque and historic sites and the part that parallels the Rio Grande to Santa Fe.
—Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for parallel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallel
Adjective
-
Although the payments would be similar to the 2020 payments issued at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, rebates differ from stimulus checks.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
9 Aug. 2025
-
While the data shows a spike in crime in these areas, citywide data shows that crime is occurring at similar rates to last year.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In addition to similarities in appearance, the young cowbirds are drawn to the chattering noises of adult female cowbirds (read more here).—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Modi and Trump are populists with ideological similarities and had previously campaigned for each other.—
Salil Tripathi,
Time,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
To top it off, Motorola has created a matching crossbody case to keep the couture device safe.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Huggie hoops, layered necklaces, and other cute accessories that match any outfit.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This is analogous to what occurs with respect to ACIP’s recommendations for vaccines.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
The process might be analogous to how amino acids spontaneously formed simple organic molecules roughly 4 billion years ago.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
Congress funded the missions and may fund them again Presidential budget proposals are wish lists that often bear little resemblance to final congressional budgets.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Her playing has little resemblance to the predictable, nasal assaults that one usually associates with bagpipe music.—
Elena Saavedra Buckley,
New Yorker,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This chimes with previous reports that every iPhone will see a $50 price increase compared to current counterparts.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
But the New England Patriots quarterback is keeping tabs on what his Washington Commanders’ counterpart — and others from their draft class — are up to heading into their second NFL seasons.—
Kyle Hightower,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While midsize data centers typically use 300,000 gallons daily, comparable to consumption by 1,000 households, large-scale facilities such as those recently built or planned in Texas can consume as much as 4.5 million gallons daily.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka now face 20 percent, down from the earlier 37 percent and 47 percent and now comparable to that for Vietnam’s 20 percent announced in July.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
On the morning of June 13, Israeli air force warplanes fired air-to-ground missiles at those coordinates, killing all 11.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Comfortable cotton basics in mixed fabrications, striped motifs and dainty accents for elevated the easy coordinates made with plain weaves and poplin.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parallel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallel. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share