barometers

noun

plural of barometer
as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared a legendary Broadway flop that has subsequently become the barometer by which failure in the theater is judged

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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 barometers Investors and borrowers will instead focus on Wednesday's release of the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections, a report that distills the FOMC's forecasts for unemployment, GDP growth and other barometers. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 June 2026 That’s what makes pilots the best barometers for how well a piece of luggage works. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026 The mercury barometers in the observers’ office — one of which the observatory believes to be the oldest such instrument in active daily use in the United States — are a case in point. — Laura Martin Agudelo, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 And assets under management are poor barometers of a venture fund’s success, generally. — Ben Weiss, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026 And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026 The barometers for our rankings include Opta’s projections for the remainder of their campaign, the teams’ performances in 2025-26, relative squad strength and their history in the competition. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026 Besides, the issue is further complicated by the fact that there are so many barometers of greatness. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Feb. 2026 Look at all economic barometers, social gains, and life span increases. — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barometers
  1. standards
  2. criteria
  3. benchmarks
  4. metrics
Noun
  • By North Carolina’s historical standards, the answer should be no, but the bar has been lowered so much that a trip to a bottom-tier bowl feels like a victory.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Though the enrollment trend can be stabilizing to its balance sheet, the district is still performing well by state standards.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • Here are the stocks that met that criteria and were also up more than 5% on the week.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In an interview with USA TODAY, Flock CEO Langley declined to say what specific criteria meet Flock’s internal threshold for unusual activity.
    — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of criteria
Noun
  • His greater concern is whether the field is tracking the benchmarks and measures that matter in clinical care delivery.
    — Lisa Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Waymo’s own analysis compares its autonomous-driving performance with human-driver benchmarks over equivalent distances in the same operating areas.
    — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of benchmarks
Noun
  • Some recall Ternus being able to cite plastic material measurements, drop-test physics equations, or weight metrics for various products—on the spot.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Wolfe Research uses an Earnings Quality (EQ) score, a proprietary measure that factors in seven financial ratios, along with sentiment and valuation metrics.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of metrics

Browse Nearby Words

barometer
barometers
baron
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Cite this Entry

“Barometers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barometers. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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