as in similar
having qualities in common
parallel lives of two friends who first met in college
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in similarity
a point which two or more things share in common
her professor pointed out some parallels between the two novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
an advance that is without parallel in the history of virology
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to match
to be the exact counterpart of
developments in the television show paralleled those in the lead actor's real life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 parallel
Michael R. Sisak and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state case expected to go to trial first.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Matt Abrahams, TIME, 25 Mar. 2025
Massive parallel testing means Volvo can work through lots of unusual scenarios.
—Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2025
Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2025
What's even more revealing is how this parallels the consumer payment evolution.
—Sunil Rajasekar, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parallel
Adjective
Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first.
—Michael R. Sisak and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state case expected to go to trial first.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
Minimally Viable Product and Minimally Viable Communication Several parallels can be found between product development and message development.
—Matt Abrahams, TIME, 25 Mar. 2025
Massive parallel testing means Volvo can work through lots of unusual scenarios.
—Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
National extremes The chasm between noteworthy raises and loftier cost-of-living growth across the nation often paralleled the broader economic patterns during these four years.
—Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2025
What's even more revealing is how this parallels the consumer payment evolution.
—Sunil Rajasekar, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parallel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallel
Adjective
-
Soon, police came for the families of gang members, for people whose tattoos looked similar to those of gang members, for people with any tattoos.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The apparel industry can adopt similar practices by integrating real-time data analytics and supplier quality management and enhancing supplier collaboration to reduce lead times and minimize stockouts.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Despite surface similarities, there was no official connection between the two shows.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The similarities between the two bucks are striking, D&DH noted, but the source of the photo is unverified.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Their best at any position or role is matched fairly well by other powers in the West.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
With his 41st assist, Connor Bedard matched his rookie season’s 61 points, which lead the team.—
Phil Thompson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This is analogous to our preventative and detective cybersecurity tools.—
James Blake,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Efforts to deny the indigenous peoples of the Andes access to coca, as Smithsonian anthropologist Catherine Allen has written, are not analogous to outlawing, for example, beer in Germany, coffee in the Middle East, or betel chewing in India.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The pair both wore dapper looks for the occasion — and showed off their striking resemblance to each other.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The violin maker David Rattray, who did restorations on the instrument in 2016 and published a book on Scottish violin makers, said in an email that the decorations only bore a superficial resemblance to Norwegian Hardanger fiddles, which often sport elaborate pen-and-ink patterns.—
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In a reciprocal show of respect, Lee handed over his ceremonial sword to Grant, only to have his counterpart return it.—
Made by History,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Ukraine and Russia agreed on March 18 to stop attacking each other's energy facilities, although President Vladimir Putin declined to endorse a full 30-day ceasefire that his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump had hoped would be a first step toward a permanent peace deal.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
When looking at gaming, the gender split for recent Super Mario Bros game releases was comparable to that of its feature film.—
Brad Adgate,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
One league executive said Malonga’s talent is comparable to presumptive No. 1 pick, UConn star Paige Bueckers, even if her public profile isn’t.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The project manager plans, organizes, monitors, coordinates and administers the work on capital outlay projects from the planning/budget phase through the completion of construction.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
South Korean officials said the incident was caused by human error, saying a pilot had input the wrong strike coordinates before taking off.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parallel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallel. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share