as in positively
in an approving manner
she smiled approvingly at the child who was performing onstage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approvingly
Pynchon is clearly a huge fan of detective fiction and quotes approvingly from the genre while not quite wanting to immerse himself fully within it.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Rotwood approvingly sees no such sentimentality in Wednesday.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approvingly
Adverb
-
Nylander was a difference-maker in his first game back from injury in over two weeks, both positively and negatively.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Summerfield Jane Doe was positively identified as 27-year-old Eulalia Chavez.—
Audrey Abrahams,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Australia was also ranked favorably due to its low crime rate, political system, and gun control laws.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Puerto Vallarta offers a health care system that compares favorably with much larger urban centers.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approvingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approvingly. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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