as in standard
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared
this prize-winning biography will be the benchmark against which all others will be judged in future years
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Recent Examples of benchmark
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
International benchmark Brent Crude topped $112 dollars on Tuesday.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
International oil benchmark Brent also jumped sharply in early trading, rising to nearly $113 per barrel.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
The global oil benchmark crept up to $111 a barrel in early trading Tuesday.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benchmark
Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
International benchmark Brent Crude topped $112 dollars on Tuesday.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
International oil benchmark Brent also jumped sharply in early trading, rising to nearly $113 per barrel.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
The global oil benchmark crept up to $111 a barrel in early trading Tuesday.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benchmark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benchmark
Noun
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These standards are not only more functional, but reduce the night sky glow, are more energy efficient, reduce wildlife impacts and contribute to better health.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Technology has replaced the medium’s material substrate—once photochemical, now primarily electronic—and repeatedly modified its syntax, its narrative codes, its standards of realism.—
Dennis Lim,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Things like an object’s size and weight must meet certain criteria, and they must also be designed to be robust enough to survive the violence of a rocket launch.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 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
Cite this Entry
“Benchmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benchmark. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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