1
as in similarities
a point which two or more things share in common
her professor pointed out some parallels between the two novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in equivalents
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 matches
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 parallels
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
But the parallels continued, as noted in the 2002 documentary, The Tramp and Dictator.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Many parallels exist between being high above the Earth and deep underground.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Former Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, now CEO of the 1792 Exchange, said the parallels are striking.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025
Return to the fact that striking parallels do exist.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
There are all of these parallels.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Undoubtedly, there are parallels to 2024 when the Bears — off their bye and riding a three-game winning streak — visited the Commanders for a showcase game with hopes that their season was ascending.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
One reason is that there are parallels between the blacklist era and today.
—Kathy M. Newman, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The boy’s journey parallels the song’s enduring message—that while oppression and struggle are undeniable, hope and transformation remain just over the horizon.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Kurzweil’s singularity parallels ideas from Italian and Russian futurists amid the electrical and mechanical revolutions that took place at the turn of the 20th century.
—Sonja Fritzsche, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Because so much of Janelle and Lisa’s work is about pattern recognition, visual twinning and parallels in objects and language, stretching the experience across two buildings naturally builds in space to process these various connections.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Queen City Drive parallels Interstate 85 in west Charlotte.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
The San Andres range parallels the old Chihuahua Trail, which in the 1500’s linked Mexico City with the northern territorial capital of Santa Fe.
—Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
The statistic parallels a Council on Criminal Justice report in July showing that most categories of crime have also dropped in other cities across America.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Beijing’s approach to Tibet parallels its efforts to control minority populations in other restive regions of China.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
Close parallels to the original Game Face capsule figurine have resold for thousands of dollars on marketplaces like StockX and eBay.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
But the parallels continued, as noted in the 2002 documentary, The Tramp and Dictator.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Many parallels exist between being high above the Earth and deep underground.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Former Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, now CEO of the 1792 Exchange, said the parallels are striking.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025
Return to the fact that striking parallels do exist.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
There are all of these parallels.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Undoubtedly, there are parallels to 2024 when the Bears — off their bye and riding a three-game winning streak — visited the Commanders for a showcase game with hopes that their season was ascending.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
One reason is that there are parallels between the blacklist era and today.
—Kathy M. Newman, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Malkovich's role, meanwhile, parallels the Hunger Games timeline depicted in the original book and film quartet, in which Snow was played by the late Donald Sutherland.
—Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The boy’s journey parallels the song’s enduring message—that while oppression and struggle are undeniable, hope and transformation remain just over the horizon.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Kurzweil’s singularity parallels ideas from Italian and Russian futurists amid the electrical and mechanical revolutions that took place at the turn of the 20th century.
—Sonja Fritzsche, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Because so much of Janelle and Lisa’s work is about pattern recognition, visual twinning and parallels in objects and language, stretching the experience across two buildings naturally builds in space to process these various connections.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Queen City Drive parallels Interstate 85 in west Charlotte.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
The San Andres range parallels the old Chihuahua Trail, which in the 1500’s linked Mexico City with the northern territorial capital of Santa Fe.
—Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
The statistic parallels a Council on Criminal Justice report in July showing that most categories of crime have also dropped in other cities across America.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Beijing’s approach to Tibet parallels its efforts to control minority populations in other restive regions of China.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallels
Noun
-
In an interview with the BBC's Scott Mills on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show, Swift spoke about the differences and similarities with her job versus her future husband's.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
When The Bell Curve was released, scientists’ best understanding of how genetics influenced human behavior was based on differences and similarities among family members, especially twins.—
Eric Turkheimer,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Using employees – the number of people – rather than full-time equivalents makes these numbers difficult to compare directly with EPA’s budget proposals.—
Chris Sellers,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Lucid also promotes the vehicle with city and freeway MPGe equivalents of 114 and 109.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With the amount of stoppage time match officials are adding on, Premier League matches this season have lasted an average of 100 minutes and 35 seconds.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Each laser beam precisely matches the quantum energy levels of rubidium atoms.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Floods, tricksters, battles with monsters, creation and apocalypse—sometimes the resemblances are uncanny.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Further investigation into a chalk underdrawing of ‘The Night Watch,’ using macro X-ray florescence scans, showed even more resemblances between the two dogs.—
Senay Boztas,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Traditionally, women have been in charge of households’ purse strings and are responsible for more discretionary spending than their male counterparts.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The University of Texas at Austin took a different tone than its counterparts.—
Taylor Romine,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While he is getting used to accepting the flowers given, his colleagues had bouquets to give.—
Essence,
Essence,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Rather than just adding up the contribution of each variant, Oram and his colleagues’ test incorporates the complex interactivity of various alleles with one another, including ones with protective effects.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After her divorce from Billy Bob Thornton in 2003, Angelina Jolie removed the tattoo of his name from her left arm, replacing it with the coordinates of her globe-spanning family's birthplaces.—
Grace Gavilanes,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The coordinates of Winni’s voyage marked a nearly straight east-to-west line.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
More than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
In our district, parents are partners in education.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parallels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallels. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share