as in favorable
expressing approval
the play did not receive a single approving notice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ratifying
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
as soon as the pond project was approved, the bulldozers were at the site
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 approving
David Dickstein, Oc Register, 30 July 2025
Even Dodgers' Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully was shown giving a thumbs-up afterward, adding an approving nod to the unconventional yet unforgettable performance.
—Amanda Castro
gabe Whisnant
anna Commander
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Sep. 2025
In the wake of lawmakers approving the map, Democrats have rallied behind Cleaver, who has stated his intention to run again.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for approving
Adjective
When some in the group expressed interest in joining the early-morning bread run, the captain gave an approving blink of surprise.
—Verb
Keller school board members sparred Wednesday night before approving a resolution calling on the district to provide an opportunity during the school day for students and staff to pray and read the Bible or other religious texts.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for approving
Adjective
-
So what makes for a favorable location?—
-
Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Friday.—
Verb
-
Bethea said the fact that Sky Chefs has delayed ratifying their contract at BWI is a testament to its values.—
-
The United States has long upheld most tenets of UNCLOS, benefiting from its framework even without ratifying it.—
Adjective
-
Dart and the Giants will look to build off this positive momentum in a Week 5 matchup against the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.—
-
Markets in Europe also ended Friday in positive territory.—
Verb
-
Erin LaRow, a spokesperson for DCF, Kansas’ child welfare agency, said state privacy laws prevented her from confirming whether a hotline call from the nurse was received.—
-
In a statement confirming Broder’s death, his family pointed to the fact that Broder died on Rosh Hashanah.—
Adjective
-
Jodie Chavious, a board member of the Slow Food Sacramento chapter and owner of the Chavious Pop-Up pizza truck, said representing small farmers was vital to promoting the core tenets of Slow Food — being good, clean and fair.—
-
Just for good measure, award-winning country superstars like Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde and Lainey Wilson would be inclined to agree.—
Verb
-
The order marks an important procedural step toward finalizing the TikTok sale, but the deal is not yet complete.—
-
According to a Red Sox source, Toboni is finalizing a deal to become the Washington Nationals’ new head of baseball operations.—
Verb
-
Prosecutors say Comey lied about authorizing an FBI source to speak to the media about the investigation and obstructed Congress by making false statements intended to impede lawmakers’ probe into the FBI’s actions, according to a copy of the indictment obtained by The Washington Post.—
-
Cruz, in a December 2020 letter to the Justice Department, wrote that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe had admitted knowing about and authorizing the leak.—
Verb
-
Nieto observed that the grand jury report, while endorsing the dismantling of advisory boards, also recommended that local community planning boards take over the duty of identifying projects for funding.—
-
Advertisement Schumer, meanwhile, declined to give a reason for holding off on endorsing Mamdani when pressed by CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday.—
Cite this Entry
“Approving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approving. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share