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
-
The earthquake's epicenter was located approximately 7 miles south of Huron and occurred at a depth of 5 miles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 Mar. 2026
-
According to data from Cirium, approximately one in five passengers travelling between Europe and Asia-Pacific in 2025 flew on Middle Eastern carriers.—
Blane Bachelor,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Song was arrested about a week later.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Born in Japan in 1977, in the town of Shizuoka, about an hour outside Tokyo, Jima moved to the States to attend college.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The department eventually helped a hundred and sixty-one workers recover on average roughly three thousand dollars in wages each.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Under normal temperature conditions, the vehicle can replenish its battery from 10% to 70% in roughly five minutes, while reaching 97% in about nine minutes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Locals consistently rave about FIG and Leon’s Oyster Shop, though wandering around aimlessly—especially on the city’s lively King Street—is part of the fun, too.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
So instead of splashing around in new pools on Day 1, the Broncos ran it back.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plus or minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plus%20or%20minus. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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