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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Recent Examples of barometers
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
And special elections, while useful metrics, are far from perfect barometers of public opinion.
—Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
The Gallup Presidential Approval Rating has for decades been the among the top barometers cited by media outlets measuring public opinion of the president’s performance.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
When personal narratives dominate the news cycle, social platforms act as real-time barometers for public curiosity.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
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
And special elections, while useful metrics, are far from perfect barometers of public opinion.
—Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
The Gallup Presidential Approval Rating has for decades been the among the top barometers cited by media outlets measuring public opinion of the president’s performance.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
When personal narratives dominate the news cycle, social platforms act as real-time barometers for public curiosity.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barometers
Noun
-
Some models feature replaceable blades, like the Milk Street Kitchen Precision peeler, which retails for $30, but by peeler standards that’s high.—
Jennifer Zyman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Accessibility The hotel is fully compliant with ADA standards, and has five accessible Deluxe rooms designed to accommodate guests with limited mobility and disabilities.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In a flurry of activity beginning on March 8, 2025, Purdue filed documents that show lines crossing out the eligibility criteria and victim compensation amounts, with no explanation or substitute language.—
Craig R. McCoy,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
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That major hedge is new, and seriously waters down the importance of these two existing constitutional criteria.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Barnett pointed to Georgia, which has a universal pre-K program and, this year, became the largest program in the country to meet at 10 of NIEER’s benchmarks for quality.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Bloomberg was willing to pull these experts off their day jobs both to write benchmarks for sub-agents and to help evaluate entire workflows.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lawrence, though, is widely regarded as a top-five player at his position, whereas Greenard falls around 15th among edge rushers in most meaningful metrics.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a difference between having the data and actually taking meaningful action — and if the metrics are making a meaningful difference in your life.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barometers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barometers. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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