samples 1 of 2

plural of sample
1
as in samplings
a number of things selected from a group to stand for the whole based on a sample of the menu items, we decided that this was the best restaurant in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like this vase is a sample of the high-quality glassware that the glassblowers can produce

Synonyms & Similar Words

samples

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sample
as in tests
to put (something) to a test sampled the soup to see if it tasted good

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 samples
Noun
The team investigated rock samples from half a million years of eruptions to look into Etna's origins. Refractor, 27 July 2026 And in Yakima, Washington, cleanup was delayed over 13 years even though more than 1,350 water samples taken from the Hyatts’ neighbors around the Army’s Yakima Training Center have tested higher than the EPA limit. Austin Fast, USA Today, 26 July 2026 In certain metal samples, fusion occurred about a quintillion times—a 1 followed by 18 zeroes—more often than in reactions without a host material. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026 The agency’s testing identified cyclospora in two samples taken from a canal that the farm used for irrigation. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Its freezers also contained samples of Ebola, Marburg, and other viral agents. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026 Currently, all screwworm suspect samples are required to be submitted to USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories for official confirmation. Sarah Tomlinson, The Conversation, 24 July 2026 The index allows researchers to measure mitochondrial activity at a scale and with a degree of precision previously unseen, and to process thousands of samples, compared to dozens just a few years before. Rachel Nuwer, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2026 Make a beeline for the flagship Olive Young store, the country’s biggest cosmetics retailer, where there’s a whole wall devoted to sheet masks, testing stations and a vending machine that doles out free skincare samples. Siobhan Grogan, TheWeek, 17 July 2026
Verb
Pace Labs, which samples the park’s water weekly, retested the water that same day and is awaiting results Friday. Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026 The museum could face up to $23 million in federal fines for not disclosing information about the hair samples sooner, although the government has seldom enforced such penalties. News Desk, Artforum, 8 July 2026 For more precise information, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, a nonprofit that helps protect and restore the water quality of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers and their surrounding watersheds, samples the rivers and tributaries weekly each summer as part of its Swim Guide program. Daniel Bain, The Conversation, 22 June 2026 In Procida, one of the Phlegraean Islands off the coast of Naples, Tucci samples a lemon salad. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 May 2026 Oklou shares the same melodic grace in her wandering arpeggios, and the spectral balearic timewarp of Torus’ Summer of Love samples Stockholm’s own Eric Prydz. Nathan Evans, Pitchfork, 12 May 2026 Then, instead of measuring everything, the protocol samples only a small fraction of the copies. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026 Bar Tab Taran Dugal samples experimental cocktails in Long Island City. Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026 The hotel samples some of the city's hottest restaurants and bars, spanning cuisine from China’s Chaoshan to Europe. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for samples
Noun
  • There will be 25 wineries, breweries and other vendors and samplings from more than 25 local restaurants’ best dishes and desserts along with live music and silent auction.
    Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
  • The cases of Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, which can live in mist and water systems, prompted the SNHD to conduct environmental samplings at the Wynn, confirming its systems were infected with the bacteria.
    Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The first 20 examples, numbered 001–020/00R, were reserved for supporters of François-Paul Journe's Tourbillon Souverain souscription program, whose deposits helped finance the fledgling manufacture.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Enhertu and Padcev are examples of ADCs that have extended survival by 10 and 15 months in breast and bladder cancer, respectively.
    Roderick Wong, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • Shanahan will have to clear a similar concussion protocol that tests players before they’re cleared to return, Lynch said.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
  • Anthropic says Opus 5 scored three times higher than the next-best model on ARC-AGI 3, which tests how well models solve novel problems.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • Former Bishop Feehan star Brody Bumila didn’t go in the first round of the MLB draft earlier this month, but the 6-foot-9 lefty with an 100 mph fastball still got paid like one of the top selections.
    Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 21 July 2026
  • When balanced with thoughtful material selections and a clear design focus, bold tile can make a bath feel both expressive and harmonious.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2026
Noun
  • By testing multiple specimens in parallel, the platform reduced overall testing time by more than 60 percent.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026
  • Yet several scientists told KFF Health News that the specimens most likely were indeed for use in developing mpox diagnostic tests.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Samples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/samples. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on samples

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster