YARDSTICK Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'yardstick' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of yardstick are criterion , gauge , standard , and touchstone . While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality. // housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

Q: When is 'criterion' a more appropriate choice than 'yardstick'?

The meanings of criterion and yardstick largely overlap; however, criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not. // questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

Q: When might 'gauge' be a better fit than 'yardstick'?

The words gauge and yardstick are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect. // polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

Q: When would 'standard' be a good substitute for 'yardstick'?

While the synonyms standard and yardstick are close in meaning, standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority. // standards of behavior

Q: When could 'touchstone' be used to replace 'yardstick'?

While in some cases nearly identical to yardstick , touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible. // fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

yardstick

noun

ˈyärd-ˌstik

Definition of yardstick next

as in criterion

something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared this essay will be the yardstick by which I grade the others

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun yardstick contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of yardstick are criterion, gauge, standard, and touchstone. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

When is criterion a more appropriate choice than yardstick?

The meanings of criterion and yardstick largely overlap; however, criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

When might gauge be a better fit than yardstick?

The words gauge and yardstick are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When would standard be a good substitute for yardstick?

While the synonyms standard and yardstick are close in meaning, standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

When could touchstone be used to replace yardstick?

While in some cases nearly identical to yardstick, touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

Examples 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 yardstick It can’t be captured fully by any individual yardstick, and by many metrics is still well above where most Americans, and in fact some Fed officials, feel comfortable. —

Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024 Using the yardstick of a €60,000 ($67,000) salary, Boundless found that the most affordable nation for employers was Lithuania, where paying a €60,000 salary cost just €61,074, while the most expensive was Austria, where the costs on top of the #60,000 amounted to €28,618. —

Roger Trapp, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 Walking on the sandy riverbed, McNeish used a yardstick to estimate how much the water had receded in an isolated pond since her last visit. —

Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024 Woodrow Rosenbaum, the chief data officer of GivingTuesday, has pushed back on the idea that giving is in decline at all, saying that’s only true if our measurement yardstick is based on monetary gifts to nonprofits. —

Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yardstick

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yardstick

Noun

The award had been delayed because none of the nominees under consideration in 1921 was found to have met the criteria. 1923: Alice Coachman, the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal, was born in Albany, Georgia.

Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2024
This requires developing criteria that help prioritize which tasks belong inside the IHA and which can be outsourced.

Andrea Ruskin, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024