about 1 of 3

preposition

Definition of aboutnext
1
as in regarding
having to do with a poignant story about a young man who goes off to war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in around
close to about the hedge there was a picket fence

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in throughout
in random positions within the boundaries of sparrows hopping about the lawn near the bird feeder

Synonyms & Similar Words

about

2 of 3

adverb

ə-ˈbau̇t How to pronounce about (audio)
1
as in round
on all sides or in every direction people standing about waiting for a salesclerk to assist them

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in back
toward the opposite direction turned about and saw the dog following him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in almost
very close to but not completely about as many attendees as last year signed up for the conference

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in approximately
close to but not exactly it's about a mile to the nearest gas station we're about ready to get started

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in everywhere
in one place and another his garage was a dirty, cluttered place with various tools and engine parts just lying about

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

about

3 of 3

adjective

as in aware

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 about
Preposition
Authorities estimated Saturday's marches had a turnout of about 550,000, while organizers put it at 800,000. — Sylvie Corbet, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026 The Kansas City Chiefs your older sibling told you about may finally be back. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Andrade spent about two hours with the grand jury, which had convened to explore the possibility of criminal charges. — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 The three men traveled to Punta San José, about 50 miles from where their bodies were found in Ensenada, for a surfing trip in April 2024. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Temperatures this weekend are about to take a nosedive, from the upper 90s across the Central Valley and Southern California down into the 70s or even lower. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Excited about The Pineapple Thief are about to tour North America and Europe which never gets boring. — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for about
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about
  1. regarding
  2. around
  3. throughout
  4. back
  5. almost
  6. approximately
  7. everywhere
  8. aware
Preposition
  • Metro Police detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting, and are in contact with the District Attorney’s Office regarding charging decisions.
    — Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Was any decision made regarding reducing Partey’s media obligations?
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Definition of regarding
Preposition
  • Vocals strain at the center of the songs while lonesome organs burn around the margins like the argon glow of a street-sign montage.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Many metro stations were closed Saturday at police request, including those around the Champs-Elysées and near the presidential palace, Parliament and government offices.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of around
Preposition
  • Cups and bowls used as utensils to dispense food throughout kitchen.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Crown molding, used throughout much of the home, adds an additional elegant touch.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of throughout
Adverb
  • Antetokounmpo also blocked a Noah Clowney dunk attempt a few minutes later, and then got the ball back for a spinning finger roll on the other end.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Already, two bipartisan groups of senators have pushed back on the decision, including seven Republicans.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of back
Adverb
  • There’s plenty of other awful things happening in the episode, almost all of them revolving around Sai.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Genetic comparisons revealed that deep-sea viral communities in the region are almost entirely unique, with just 4 percent of their protein clusters matching global databases.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of almost
Adverb
  • The manufacturer lists approximately 2,485 miles with a 40,000-pound payload.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The ticket purchase limit for that concert was between four and eight, prosecutors said, and REPS allegedly made approximately $833,323 in profit by reselling those tickets.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of approximately
Adverb
  • Best Buy’s iPhone Duo Preorder Deals Like everywhere else, preorders for the iPhone Duo at Best Buy are also now live.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But in fashion, demand often peaks much earlier, when a piece is new, in season or suddenly everywhere because a creator wore it.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of everywhere
Adjective
  • According to Oracle's customer communications, the company became aware of the incident around February 20, 2025.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • While Netanyahu has sought to project confidence, Trump is well aware of the prime minister’s difficult political position.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of aware

Phrases Containing about

Browse Nearby Words

abounds
about
about-face
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“About.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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