as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared
this essay will be the yardstick by which I grade the others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 yardsticks
And according to my scorecard, which averaged grades across five economic yardsticks, Powell’s eight years at the helm earned the second-worst California-centric score compared with the previous four central bank bosses.
—
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Other yardsticks show a similar trend, such as a March 18 survey commissioned by the California Democratic Party showing the two GOP candidates on top with Swalwell, Porter and Steyer in a three-way tie for third.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
The Red Scare period of blacklisting is a case study of the dangers of using political yardsticks to measure journalists.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
It is flanked on all sides by footlong rulers (emblazoned, like the yardsticks, with an assortment of penitent phrases including YES, SISTER and NO, SISTER) marking the hours.
—Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The gauge is based on short interest, margin debt, sentiment surveys and several other yardsticks used to gauge what investors are thinking and doing.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025
In the matter of handmade placards—Magic Marker on cardboard, duct-taped to wooden yardsticks—there was a certain amount of politico-literary one-upmanship.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The machine learning field is moving fast, and the yardsticks used measure progress in it are having to race to keep up.
—Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Sep. 2025
Traditional yardsticks like revenue and profit matter less than the company’s ETH stash.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Other yardsticks show a similar trend, such as a March 18 survey commissioned by the California Democratic Party showing the two GOP candidates on top with Swalwell, Porter and Steyer in a three-way tie for third.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
The Red Scare period of blacklisting is a case study of the dangers of using political yardsticks to measure journalists.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
It is flanked on all sides by footlong rulers (emblazoned, like the yardsticks, with an assortment of penitent phrases including YES, SISTER and NO, SISTER) marking the hours.
—Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The gauge is based on short interest, margin debt, sentiment surveys and several other yardsticks used to gauge what investors are thinking and doing.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025
In the matter of handmade placards—Magic Marker on cardboard, duct-taped to wooden yardsticks—there was a certain amount of politico-literary one-upmanship.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The machine learning field is moving fast, and the yardsticks used measure progress in it are having to race to keep up.
—Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Sep. 2025
Traditional yardsticks like revenue and profit matter less than the company’s ETH stash.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yardsticks
Noun
-
The United Kingdom is on course for its sixth prime minister in some seven years, as one political leader after another proves no match for a stubbornly weak economy, which has weighed on incomes and living standards, wearing down the electorate.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
The sheriff said the agency remains committed to transparency, professionalism and ethical standards.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
This assessment is built on a late 2025 regulatory milestone, during which the agency approved the core engineering design criteria for the system.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
-
But the change does not apply to all borrowers, and those pursuing the reduction will need to meet eligibility criteria.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Even this morning, with news of an agreement to reopen the strait, the standard crude oil benchmarks (WTI and Brent) were still above $80 a barrel.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Trends in home design can either cement themselves as benchmarks of contemporary living or flame out fast.—
Mary Holland,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Conversely, 'Self-Dealers' focused on financial metrics often underperform.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
And while Adames was a well-above-average player in 2025, his plate discipline has cratered in 2026 and his defensive metrics have taken a huge step backward too.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yardsticks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yardsticks. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
