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
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Never, though, has a White House built and disseminated content quite like this, drawing explicit parallels between the aggressive moments of modern entertainment — a video game kill shot, a hard football hit, a towering home run — and battle footage to amplify the enthusiasm for war.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
Coulier, who has dealt with multiple health battles in recent years, hasn't been shy about admitting to the parallels between the song and his relationship with Morissette.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
But the parallels from the two weekends are there.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Trump has long mocked Bush for ruining his presidency by invading Iraq, and his administration over the past week has sought to downplay any parallels between Bush’s misadventures and its own attack on Iran.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
For American soccer fans who watched Wrexham’s rise from fifth-tier obscurity to global brand, the parallels are hard to ignore.
—Ryan Brennan
march 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
Turning to Yasmin, there are so many biographical parallels between her and Ghislaine Maxwell — their dads being publishing barons who had fatal accidents on their boats.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Rather than focusing on the shiny diversions of loud spectacles, Americans might take a few moments this year to explore the parallels between our current condition and the detailed indictment of particulars that Thomas Jefferson laid out against the king of England in 1776.
—Edwin C. Yohnka, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
It’s located in a part of southwest Charlotte that saw a boom in development after the completion of Interstate 485, which parallels Whitehall Park Drive.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Hardest hit by redevelopment are residents like Michael Ziebel, 88, a Russian emigre whose life parallels a generation on South Beach.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
But south of the tunnel, Highway 1 still parallels a stretch of towering cliffs overlooking a sheltered cove.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Tobacco parallels The Los Angeles trial centers on allegations made by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, and her mother that four social media giants intentionally designed addictive platforms that hooked her as a child and led to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Try the easy Bajada Trail, which parallels San Juan Road at the base of the Gila range.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Asbury Park is where Bruce Springsteen got his start, and other beach towns, long popular as summer getaways, include Belmar, Spring Lake, Point Pleasant, and towns on Long Beach Island, a narrow barrier island that parallels the coast.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
The fracturing of the television audience parallels the schisms in America’s political culture, with viewers and voters increasingly sheltering in partisan echo chambers.
—Karrin Vasby Anderson, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
The influence of Parnas and other creators drew parallels to the podcast giant.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Never, though, has a White House built and disseminated content quite like this, drawing explicit parallels between the aggressive moments of modern entertainment — a video game kill shot, a hard football hit, a towering home run — and battle footage to amplify the enthusiasm for war.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
Coulier, who has dealt with multiple health battles in recent years, hasn't been shy about admitting to the parallels between the song and his relationship with Morissette.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
But the parallels from the two weekends are there.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Trump has long mocked Bush for ruining his presidency by invading Iraq, and his administration over the past week has sought to downplay any parallels between Bush’s misadventures and its own attack on Iran.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
For American soccer fans who watched Wrexham’s rise from fifth-tier obscurity to global brand, the parallels are hard to ignore.
—Ryan Brennan
march 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
Turning to Yasmin, there are so many biographical parallels between her and Ghislaine Maxwell — their dads being publishing barons who had fatal accidents on their boats.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Rather than focusing on the shiny diversions of loud spectacles, Americans might take a few moments this year to explore the parallels between our current condition and the detailed indictment of particulars that Thomas Jefferson laid out against the king of England in 1776.
—Edwin C. Yohnka, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Straight Creek Trail is an old double-track road that parallels Interstate 70 up to the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel, according to White River National Forest.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
It’s located in a part of southwest Charlotte that saw a boom in development after the completion of Interstate 485, which parallels Whitehall Park Drive.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Hardest hit by redevelopment are residents like Michael Ziebel, 88, a Russian emigre whose life parallels a generation on South Beach.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
But south of the tunnel, Highway 1 still parallels a stretch of towering cliffs overlooking a sheltered cove.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Tobacco parallels The Los Angeles trial centers on allegations made by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, and her mother that four social media giants intentionally designed addictive platforms that hooked her as a child and led to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Try the easy Bajada Trail, which parallels San Juan Road at the base of the Gila range.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Asbury Park is where Bruce Springsteen got his start, and other beach towns, long popular as summer getaways, include Belmar, Spring Lake, Point Pleasant, and towns on Long Beach Island, a narrow barrier island that parallels the coast.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
The fracturing of the television audience parallels the schisms in America’s political culture, with viewers and voters increasingly sheltering in partisan echo chambers.
—Karrin Vasby Anderson, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallels
Noun
-
But while their games have some similarities, their personalities on the court are polar opposites.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But that’s where their similarities end.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Was there a need to be accurate when recreating sets to reflect their real life equivalents?—
Kyle Beechey,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But their television equivalents come out nearly every month, gems in a wash of pebbles, pouring unceasingly past.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The new lantern instead matches the modal capacity of the lasers and the fiber.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In terms of speed, the 17e beats the 16e and mostly matches the iPhone 17, which is great.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
David Leach, the head of security, noted that a training program offered by the utility for technician jobs bears resemblances to Oakland’s cadet initiative.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
For all the resemblances between the ancient incarceration system and our own, the differences are real.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The neck opening is slightly wider than some of its counterparts, which allows for better airflow amid warming temps.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Yields on France and Italy’s benchmark 10-year government bonds added 6 basis points, while their German and British counterparts saw yields rise by around 5 basis points.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,Holly Ellyatt,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
By analyzing the sizes, temperatures and compositions of these nearby solar twins, Taniguchi, Takuji Tsujimoto at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and their colleagues were able to estimate the stars' ages.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
That letter was signed by several of Valladares’ colleagues, including Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Instead of scrolling through dozens of forum posts trying to piece together conflicting information, these databases organize locations by production, giving you coordinates and context in one place.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
-
There has been widespread GNSS spoofing and AIS manipulation, where tankers are digitally hijacked and tricked into displaying false coordinates that lead them into restricted territorial waters for seizure.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Burkle’s lawsuit against Anderson, filed last month, appears to be part of a bitter falling out between the two longtime business partners and friends, according to The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, which first reported on the litigation.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Microsoft, one of Anthropic’s biggest partners, agreed.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parallels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallels. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
