as in positively
in an approving manner
she smiled approvingly at the child who was performing onstage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approvingly
In the past, when tech companies laid off employees, the markets reacted approvingly.
—
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The Queen smiled approvingly at Charles and his new bride, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla).
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Pynchon is clearly a huge fan of detective fiction and quotes approvingly from the genre while not quite wanting to immerse himself fully within it.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Behind you, the fountain burbles approvingly.
—Mackenzie Chung Fegan, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 June 2024
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The Queen smiled approvingly at Charles and his new bride, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla).
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Pynchon is clearly a huge fan of detective fiction and quotes approvingly from the genre while not quite wanting to immerse himself fully within it.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Behind you, the fountain burbles approvingly.
—Mackenzie Chung Fegan, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approvingly
Adverb
-
But a second poll in the days after the April 8 ceasefire found that Israelis rated the management of the war by the government — not just Netanyahu — more negatively than positively.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Spurs started the game positively but their intensity levels dropped quickly.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Trump was favorably comparing his prospective deal with the Obama administration’s in 2015.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Arm talent Craig compares favorably to Hoover in terms of raw power with his arm.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approvingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approvingly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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