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
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Recent Examples of parallels
Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
The striking parallels between the two regimes have led many observers to turn their attention to Iran and question whether the ailing Khamenei could face a similar fate.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
The parallels between the halfcourt shot and the TV team’s win aren’t lost.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
The results reveal structural parallels across many organisms without any shared ancestry.
—Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Scientific American, 5 Jan. 2026
The parallels are rather striking.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2026
Yet thinking through the architecture of Hotel Cambridge and 9 de Julho beyond such utilitarianism reveals another significant set of parallels and differences between Los Angeles and São Paulo.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The Chris Sale parallels have been eerily excellent so far, with both leading the majors in strikeouts and either MLB or the AL in innings in their first Red Sox seasons, and finishing runner-up to an AL Central pitcher for the Cy Young Award.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
What once seemed like a dark and distant fantasy now has eerie parallels with our tumultuous present.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
For about 24 hours after the stand was spotted, investigators closed all lanes of Southern Boulevard, which parallels the southern border of the airport.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
As always with Matlock, the case parallels what’s going on in Matty and Olympia’s lives.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 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
Noun
The parallels were painful and frightening for many in the area, including Stephanie Abel, a 56-year-old Minneapolis nurse, who is keeping her gas tank full and cash handy in memory of the chaos that followed that slaying.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
The striking parallels between the two regimes have led many observers to turn their attention to Iran and question whether the ailing Khamenei could face a similar fate.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
The parallels between the halfcourt shot and the TV team’s win aren’t lost.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
The results reveal structural parallels across many organisms without any shared ancestry.
—Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Scientific American, 5 Jan. 2026
The parallels are rather striking.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2026
Yet thinking through the architecture of Hotel Cambridge and 9 de Julho beyond such utilitarianism reveals another significant set of parallels and differences between Los Angeles and São Paulo.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The Chris Sale parallels have been eerily excellent so far, with both leading the majors in strikeouts and either MLB or the AL in innings in their first Red Sox seasons, and finishing runner-up to an AL Central pitcher for the Cy Young Award.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
What once seemed like a dark and distant fantasy now has eerie parallels with our tumultuous present.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
Zohran parallels his father's views on Palestinian rights.
—Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
For about 24 hours after the stand was spotted, investigators closed all lanes of Southern Boulevard, which parallels the southern border of the airport.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
As always with Matlock, the case parallels what’s going on in Matty and Olympia’s lives.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallels
Noun
-
And what are the similarities and differences between the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and this moment?—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
-
There are several similarities between the team’s current iteration and the group from 10 years ago.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both remain short of the team equivalents in the United States.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Dry cereal, such as Cheerios, Kix, Chex, or store-brand equivalents.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s Angel Tree program matches children in need with anonymous donors who buy them presents for Christmas, and provides senior citizens with gifts.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This Hermes Kelly Bag Craie matches the COS scarf coat but brings back a little structure to the look.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
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
-
But the Hornets had a tough time shaking free from their conference counterparts.—
Erick Taylor,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Western counterparts often acknowledge them privately, even as public backlash from some European institutions and media figures ensued against Rubio’s candor.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Cruz also pressed his Democratic colleagues to join a bipartisan request for the DOJ to turn over the evidentiary basis for the subpoenas, arguing transparency was necessary to assess whether the secrecy orders were justified.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, following Hoda Kotb's January 2025 departure, the fourth hour of the morning show was retitled Today With Jenna & Friends, and saw Hager joined by a rotating cast of A-listers and colleagues to help her anchor the program.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While 2025 denim was nearly a carbon copy of 2024—loose fits, Western influences, denim coordinates and minimal distressing—2026 could see an injection of newness.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Urbano’s installations, radically utopian in this sense, re-create ideal spaces free from the spatiotemporal coordinates and rigid laws that govern our daily lives.—
Javier Montes,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
For example, emotion AI (when AI identifies human emotions) can help people with difficulty identifying emotions make sense of their meeting partners on video conferencing platforms like Zoom.—
Rachel Curry,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parallels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallels. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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