as in approximately
close to but not exactly
I have plus or minus five dollars in change
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Recent Examples of plus or minus
The margin of error was plus or minus 3%, with a 95% confidence interval.
—
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plus or minus
Adverb
-
Vita knows approximately 80 percent of the words.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Anyma, the Italian American DJ who makes up one-half of the EDM duo Tale of Us, was set to perform on the main stage at midnight, approximately 90 minutes after Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining set.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The skate park at Sunset Dunes, which opened about a year ago, has drawn enthusiasts from across the city, including longtime skater Ted Barrow.—
Loureen Ayyoub,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Rockets led by five before Minnesota used a 13-4 run, with the first eight points from Donte DiVincenzo, to take a 116-112 lead with about eight minutes to go.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The draft footprint itself, including both sides of the Allegheny River, can only hold a little more than a football stadium, the source said, roughly 80,00 to 90,000 people.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
It’s been roughly 11 months since the Knicks and Celtics met in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, a series ending in disaster for the Celtics, who were favored to beat the Knicks before blowing consecutive 20-point leads to open the semifinals.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Security video captured the puppy wandering around outside for about an hour before staff found her.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
However, this time around, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, opted to fly business class on Qantas, surprising some of their fellow fliers on the flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plus or minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plus%20or%20minus. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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