sample 1 of 2

1
as in sampling
a number of things selected from a group to stand for the whole based on a sample of the menu items, we decided that this was the best restaurant in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in example
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like this vase is a sample of the high-quality glassware that the glassblowers can produce

Synonyms & Similar Words

sample

2 of 2

verb

as in to test
to put (something) to a test sampled the soup to see if it tasted good

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sample distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of sample are case, example, illustration, instance, and specimen. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

When is case a more appropriate choice than sample?

While in some cases nearly identical to sample, case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

When can example be used instead of sample?

The meanings of example and sample largely overlap; however, example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

When could illustration be used to replace sample?

Although the words illustration and sample have much in common, illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

When might instance be a better fit than sample?

In some situations, the words instance and sample are roughly equivalent. However, instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

In what contexts can specimen take the place of sample?

The synonyms specimen and sample are sometimes interchangeable, but specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

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 sample
Noun
While more fossil samples will help researchers further illuminate tyrannosaur evolution, the study also highlights the importance of revisiting old findings. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025 Tickets for the cooking challenge are $70 per person and include three drinks on top of the competition samples and other bites from Mulvaney’s, according to the organizers. Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
Chevron, which is responsible for the environmental cleanup, has been working to restore the area for two months and is continuing to sample the soil and groundwater and monitor the air for contaminants, Kim McHugh, Chevron’s vice president of its Rockies business unit, said in a video. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 12 June 2025 Pluralities of those sampled also disagreed with Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines to Southern California. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sample
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sample
Noun
  • Here’s a sampling of the cheapest places to pump in Miami as of Wednesday, June 18, according to a survey from fuel-monitoring company GasBuddy: MORE: Gas prices have plunged 14 cents a gallon in Miami.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
  • In a separate letter, sent Thursday, state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Barbara) and three other state legislators urged California environmental regulators to step in and conduct soil sampling if federal disaster agencies continue to resist soil testing protocols.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • Hamby, for example, accuses former Aces GM Natalie Williams of implying during a radio interview that the team learned of Hamby’s pregnancy in June 2022.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 June 2025
  • For example, a class-action lawsuit launched in 2023 alleges that products with the Target Clean seal actually contained parabens, talc, and PFAS (forever chemicals linked to cancer and immune risks)—ingredients the Target Clean stamp claimed to exclude.
    Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program said Tuesday that mosquitoes trapped in the state have tested positive for West Nile virus.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 24 June 2025
  • So, this year, instead of testing the Islanders’ connections, Casa Amor is basically giving them all an opportunity to start from scratch.
    Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Photos included in the filing showed test specimens piled up in the lab in overflowing garbage bags and boxes.
    Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
  • But the specimens’ small size offered little idea of what this shadowy population of ancient hominins looked like, and the group has never been assigned an official scientific name.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sample.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sample. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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