1
as in approximately
close to but not exactly
roughly 80% of the country's population is of that faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
if you treat the machine roughly, it will of course break
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 roughly
Despite its fierce-sounding description, the animal measures nearly 6 millimeters in length — roughly the width of a standard pencil eraser.
—
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
In the nearly two decades since Bretherton boarded that plane, the globe has warmed by roughly half a degree Celsius.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
Pitch location data, like on MLB’s Gameday app, will be delayed by roughly five seconds.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
At its peak, the site housed roughly 35 vehicles, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
—Jeffrey Kopp,kate Rogers, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roughly
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
In the nearly two decades since Bretherton boarded that plane, the globe has warmed by roughly half a degree Celsius.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
Pitch location data, like on MLB’s Gameday app, will be delayed by roughly five seconds.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
At its peak, the site housed roughly 35 vehicles, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
—Jeffrey Kopp,kate Rogers, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roughly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughly
Adverb
-
Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said that approximately one flight per week would be carried out over the next few months.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
-
In the last decade in the United States, approximately 250,000 patients were admitted to the hospital with it, including Doug Upton, a veteran from Sewickley.—
Lauren Linder,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The Mexican Embassy in the United States said in a press release after the operation that Oseguera was one of three cartel members who died after being severely wounded.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Feb. 2026
-
That put significant pressure on her left side, so the teeth were severely damaged, with notable inflammation.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Proponents said this tax will apply to about 200 people in California.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Crystal Walk promenade, stretching over about a third of a mile, or 450 meters, provides shade under artificial branches covered in 10 tons of crystals that give it its name.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
But, after serving more than 30 years of a natural life sentence, Modrowski won back his freedom in summer 2024 when a judge ruled he had been too harshly punished and resentenced him to a 60-year term.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Recent changes narrowing the kinds of tasks agencies can perform when funding lapses also mean that shutdowns have the potential to hit a larger number of Americans more harshly than before, Abigail André, the executive director of the Impact Project, told me.—
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
King penguins, which can grow to be around 3 feet tall, are the second-largest penguin species in the world, according to the zoo’s website.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
24 Feb. 2026
-
From there, head over to the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site with stunning interlocking basalt stone columns that are the result of a volcanic fissure eruption that took place in the Paleogene period (around 60 million years ago).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Elsewhere, stories of economic gloom – from galloping inflation to restaurant closures and the knock-on impact of severe tax increases – describe the many ways in which the prolonged war in Ukraine is now hitting Russians hard in the pocket at home.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Marshall Tucker Band rocked The Guild in Menlo Park hard for 90 minutes on Friday night, turning in a 14-song performance that was an absolute testament to both the lasting greatness of this South Carolina troupe and the power of Southern rock.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Last month, security forces brutally suppressed nationwide protests, killing thousands and arresting many more in the deadliest suppression of demonstrations in the history of the Islamic Republic.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Surveillance footage shown at the trial depicted Santos brutally beating the sleeping victims with a large metal bar over the course of half an hour.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughly. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
