1
as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
the movie's an approximate success, if you can overlook the overblown publicity that preceded it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in approximative
not precisely correct
police could only give us an approximate count of the number of people who attended the air show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to reflect
to come near or nearer to in character or quality
Rob's violin performance last night didn't even approximate what he's really capable of when he's not feeling sick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approximate
Michael T. Davis, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
Let’s imagine a point at which the approaching two galaxies, edge to edge, are separated by 120,000 light-years—the approximate diameter of the Milky Way’s disk.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 24 May 2026
As Putin, Law is not strongly affecting an accent or even trying to physically approximate the real-life person.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for approximate
Adjective
All of this is scheduled to be achieved before the end of 2033, so the entire project has reached an approximate halfway point on the road to completion.
—Michael T. Davis, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
Let’s imagine a point at which the approaching two galaxies, edge to edge, are separated by 120,000 light-years—the approximate diameter of the Milky Way’s disk.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
Verb
This framework uses household spending to approximate the size of an adequate nest egg, by multiplying its annual spending by 25.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 24 May 2026
As Putin, Law is not strongly affecting an accent or even trying to physically approximate the real-life person.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for approximate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approximate
Adjective
-
Monday there was a further rally in software stocks – the other end of the relative-performance axis – along with mixed action in semis, with winners Nvidia and Micron offset by weakness in the likes of Intel and Qualcomm.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
Freese joined the roster only 17 months ago as a relative unknown.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller suggested the visible tension reflected a team struggling to find answers during a difficult stretch.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Breakfast is served in the lobby, which changes its decor throughout the year to reflect the seasons (Christmas, with over-the-top holiday flourishes, is everyone’s favorite).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, the news organization insists its statements are true in the sense that, even if some details are inaccurate, the gist or overall summation of the reporting was right.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
2 June 2026
-
Doing so could result in inaccurate, misleading or incomplete outputs.—
Shekhar Iyer,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Victim's siblings talk about impact of finding answers This past April, six years after Nash’s DNA matched the crime scene evidence, the San Bernardino County district attorney hosted an event for National Crime Victims Rights Week where Jones’ younger sister, Kymberly Jones, spoke.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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The implication being that smaller schools that can't match that level of investment won't be able to compete for championships.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
But according to an opinion from the Florida Attorney General’s Office, the city’s position is incorrect.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
-
Some readers may disagree with our analysis, and of course there are many decisions that the KMI panel deemed correct or incorrect that fans from all teams will dispute.—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Chicago police said the 27-year-old victim was walking when two armed men approached him.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
These days, living through a presidency marked by narrowness and resentment, the grace, humor, and curiosity with which Barack Obama approached the world feel impossibly distant.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approximate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approximate. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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