samples 1 of 2

Definition of samplesnext
plural of sample
1
as in samplings
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

Relevance
2
as in examples
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

samples

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sample
as in tests
to put (something) to a test sampled the soup to see if it tasted good

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 samples
Noun
After trying all 22 samples at the tasting, here are five goal-scoring food items and a few honorable mentions with an assist. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026 Cordell from Yuba Water Agency said initial field checks near the incident showed high turbidity, or cloudy water, and that other water quality samples have been sent to a lab for analysis. Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 18 Feb. 2026 Scientists believe the geology of Mars may hold valuable clues about past ancient life, and so the robotic vehicles, controlled remotely from Earth, have slowly navigated the rocky terrain to scoop up and collect intriguing samples. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026 Despite the large swath of the Midcontinent Rift through Iowa, Clark said the state geological survey, housed at the University of Iowa, has only 24 borehole samples that were drilled deep enough, and in the right location, to intersect the basalt of the Midcontinent Rift. Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 17 Feb. 2026 Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026 Lab analysis of these ongoing samples showed salt levels climbing steadily into the following year, vastly exceeding natural levels in the local groundwater, a sign to regulators of potential oil and gas contamination, according to results reviewed by The Frontier and ProPublica. Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026 The study also collected blood samples to track aging using two epigenetic clocks. Korin Miller, SELF, 16 Feb. 2026 But the tests, which start typically with urine samples, are easy to misinterpret and often wrong. Shoshana Walter, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Martian samples the scientists studied, which bore a strong match to rocks found near San Diego and South Africa, ranged from as small as a pebble to as large as a boulder. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026 Of the clean-up options detailed in its application, the city prefers a plan that removes the pile and basement foundation, then samples the soil and groundwater to find out whether further work is needed to mitigate toxins. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026 Max Richter also got a nomination for his score, which samples old-fashioned instruments like the viol and hurdy-gurdy. Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026 Walker deliciously samples new genres here, too. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2025 The new servo extruder continuously samples position and resistance at a rate of 20KHz. PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Pink Friday 2, catchy track ‘Everybody’, which samples Junior Senior song ‘Move Your Feet’. Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025 As One of Us gleefully samples multiple registers—comic, tragic, satiric, elegiac, poetic—its mesh of archaic and contemporary styles becomes something quite arresting, a joy to read … Chaon’s beautiful novel insists on answers. Book Marks september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025 The Rainmakers t an observatory atop Puy de Dôme, a 4,800-foot inactive volcano in central France, the microbiologist Pierre Amato samples clouds. Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for samples
Noun
  • Oysterville Sea Farms is the place to see the best oyster beds and watch the boats come in and out and Goose Point Family Farm and Oystery offers samplings and oysters for purchase.
    Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The activation extends throughout Grand Central with its Grand Brasserie and Campbell restaurants offering samplings and bottle engravings with purchase at Central Cellars.
    Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Here are some examples of how less information is coming out of federal public health agencies than in past administrations.
    Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • These examples demonstrate that engaging and building community, whether within Blue Zones or beyond, are possible and fundamental to building healthier, more resilient populations.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • This is a gripping thriller that tests the strength of two mothers with very different lives.
    Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Years of building companies have shown him that the journey asks for time that feels scarce, financial commitment that tests confidence, and emotional resilience that grows through experience.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.
    Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
  • When the voter finishes, the selections are printed on the ballot.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • And for some of that time, specimens of the fish sat in museum collections around the world, misidentified and overlooked.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
  • But an analysis of fecal data from 18 wild gibbons and four museum specimens indicates the opposite, according to the paper.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Samples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/samples. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on samples

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!