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
-
Kelly’s laboratory discovered tafamidis, marketed by Pfizer as Vyndaqel and Vyndamax, which slows the progression of transthyretin cardiomyopathy and polyneuropathy and is taken by approximately 70,000 patients worldwide.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Hazardville Water Company serves approximately 7,500 customers in the towns of Enfield, Somers and East Windsor.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
Although lower in the western sky, Venus shines about seven times brighter than Jupiter, yet continues to be rather disappointing in telescopes.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
Wimberley, with a population of about 3,000, and New Braunfels, with a population of about 116,000, are tourist destinations in the Texas Hill Country.—
Jim Vertuno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
By 2030, JPMorgan estimates that roughly 25 million Americans will be on a GLP-1, up from just 5 million in 2023.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Jupiter Jupiter, as darkness falls, will be roughly one-third up from the western horizon to the point directly overhead.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
Tik-Tok and Instagram weren’t even around in 2010 – the same year Justin Bieber was emerging as a pop star and Lady Gaga put on her meat dress.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Both players had their heads bandaged and were substituted, for Chris Wood and Filip Jorgenson, after a stoppage of around five minutes.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plus or minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plus%20or%20minus. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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