as in sample
a number of things selected from a group to stand for the whole
a sampling of shoppers said they preferred fresh orange juice over frozen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in testing
to put (something) to a test
sampled the soup to see if it tasted good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sampling
Keith Naughton, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
Stop in for a sampling experience.
—Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
And Mandy Patinkin sat alone sampling sushi and trying to make a phone call as the music blared.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sampling
Noun
Other national polls have similar sampling problems, with most polling between 1,000 and 2,000 voters, translating to 500 to 700 Democratic voters.
—Keith Naughton, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
Stop in for a sampling experience.
—Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
Opt for a sampling platter of northern Thai appetizers such as sai oua sausage and nam prik chilli relish with local vegetables, and don't miss the coconutty khao soi curry soup.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
And Mandy Patinkin sat alone sampling sushi and trying to make a phone call as the music blared.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sampling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sampling
Noun
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The same homeowner, according to law enforcement, may be connected to another property in California where detectives in 2022 found a cache of hundreds of samples marked HIV, TB, malaria, COVID, and Ebola, as well as thousands of lab mice.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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Those samples were added to that database.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After testing the 2025 MacBook Pro with Apple's M5 CPU, here's my in-depth, side-by-side comparison with last year's M4 MacBook on performance, features, and value.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
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Lights on the drones suggested the operators may be testing security responses.—
Josh Margolin,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sampling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sampling. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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