1
as in standard
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared
that last dining experience was not quite up to par
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in equivalence
the state or fact of being exactly the same in number, amount, status, or quality
these California wines are on a par with the best produced in Europe
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in average
what is typical of a group, class, or series
a pulse of 70 is par for people of that age group
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of par
The style is right on par with this season’s funnel-neck windbreaker trend that’s been worn by stars like Hailey Bieber, Zoë Kravitz, and Charli XCX.
—
Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
His first start was up-and-down but encouraging, on par for a second-rounder in that spot.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
This is par for the course, because conversations are confusing, even depressing.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Everyone was deemed an armed terrorist, on par with the depictions of Al Qaeda operatives in Afghan caves, and thus the face of a minister for youth and sports could be plastered with a red X on Israel’s official government channels, the same as Osama bin Laden’s.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for par
Recent Examples of Synonyms for par
Noun
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An example of a standard in summer is a sherbert series featuring lactose and vanilla.—
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Recent data showed that police response is becoming faster, but still lags behind California standards.—
Noun
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This is a telling, inauspicious equivalence.—
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The researchers argue that the holes weren't storage silos in the modern sense, but markers of equivalence – a way to make quantities visible and negotiable in a society without currency.—
Noun
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The group was tracked for an average of 25 years, during which time 3,208 participants developed dementia.—
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The analyst pointed to Chinese inventory levels, which seem to have risen 15% this month versus the December 2025 average, as a headwind.—
Noun
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However, it was later determined that the case did not meet authorities' acceptance criteria at the time.—
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Prosecutors said last weekend that the legal criteria to detain the bar's owners had so far not been met.—
Noun
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In their minds, there’s an equivalency, but there really isn’t.—
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At first, though, there was little doubt in the North that there was no moral equivalency of cause with the South.—
Noun
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The sounds had become a strange new normal for the diverse Central neighborhood.—
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Security guards are tangled in the middle of ICE, migrants, observers, activists and press as courthouse dynamics play out in this new normal in America.—
Noun
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Flexibility matters more than any single model’s benchmark score.—
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Even as the Federal Reserve has lowered its benchmark rate, the average credit card APR has barely budged, in part because credit card issuers are mitigating their exposure against borrowers who may fall behind on payments or default.—
Noun
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For decades, our stands on racial justice, LGBTQ equality, democracy, environmental protection, peace, workers’ rights, and international human rights have strengthened the brand.—
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America’s long struggle against racial segregation was accompanied by a righteous soundtrack of spirituals and gospel and soul music, anthems that channeled sanctified fervor into the fight for equality.—
Cite this Entry
“Par.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/par. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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