“Guessing the right amount is like pouring juice without a measuring cup—you get close, but it’s never exact.”
Sometimes, you don’t need an exact number—you just need to say “about” in a more creative way. That’s where similes come in! They make your words more fun, clear, and engaging.
In this article, we’ll explore 40 amazing similes for ‘approximately’, along with their meanings and examples. Let’s get started!
Examples of similes conveying approximation
As close as a hair’s breadth
Meaning: Very close or nearly exact.
Example Sentences:
- “The two teams were as close as a hair’s breadth in the final moments of the game.”
- “The answer was as close as a hair’s breadth, but just a little off.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as the tip of your nose 👃
- As tight as a drum 🎶
- As close as a shadow 🌑
As near as a whisper
Meaning: Almost indistinguishable, very close in value or proximity.
Example Sentences:
- “The timing was as near as a whisper, just seconds away from being perfect.”
- “Her guess was as near as a whisper, almost spot on.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a heartbeat 💓
- As near as a blink 👁️
- As tight as a knot 🪢
As close as the stars to the sky
Meaning: Incredibly close, yet still slightly apart.
Example Sentences:
- “The two rival companies were as close as the stars to the sky in their market shares.”
- “The project’s completion was as close as the stars to the sky, but not quite there.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as the moon to the Earth 🌙
- As close as a bird to its nest 🕊️
- As near as the ocean to the shore 🌊
As near as the edge of a coin
Meaning: Very close, but with a small difference.
Example Sentences:
- “Their opinions were as near as the edge of a coin, differing just slightly.”
- “The scores were as near as the edge of a coin, with only one point separating them.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as two peas in a pod 🌱
- As near as a blade of grass 🌿
- As tight as a puzzle piece 🧩
As close as a shadow to its owner
Meaning: Almost inseparable or indistinguishable.
Example Sentences:
- “The measurements were as close as a shadow to its owner, barely any deviation.”
- “The two friends were as close as a shadow to its owner, never apart.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a breath to the lungs 🌬️
- As close as a companion to their partner 💑
- As near as a thread to a needle 🧵
As close as a needle to the fabric
Meaning: Almost touching, with minimal space.
Example Sentences:
- “The two results were as close as a needle to the fabric, nearly identical.”
- “Her guess was as close as a needle to the fabric, but just a bit off.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As tight as a stitch 🪡
- As near as a pin to a cushion 📍
- As close as a fingerprint to the skin 🖐️
As close as the sun to the horizon
Meaning: Just about to happen, but not yet.
Example Sentences:
- “The project was as close as the sun to the horizon, ready to be completed.”
- “The answer was as close as the sun to the horizon, but still a little unclear.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as the dusk to the night 🌆
- As close as a sunset to the sea 🌅
- As near as the dawn to the sky 🌞
As close as a grain of sand to the shore
Meaning: Almost indistinguishable or very close in quantity.
Example Sentences:
- “The two competitors were as close as a grain of sand to the shore in their final times.”
- “The difference between the two options was as close as a grain of sand to the shore.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a drop of water to the ocean 🌊
- As close as a pebble to the beach 🏖️
- As near as a leaf to the tree 🍃
Common similes used to indicate near accuracy
As near as the moon to the Earth
Meaning: Very close, but still slightly distant.
Example Sentences:
- “Their positions in the race were as near as the moon to the Earth, just a fraction apart.”
- “The two solutions were as near as the moon to the Earth, but not exactly the same.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as the stars to the night sky 🌟
- As near as a comet to the galaxy 🌠
- As tight as the Earth to its orbit 🌍
As close as a thread to a needle
Meaning: Just about to align perfectly.
Example Sentences:
- “The two teams were as close as a thread to a needle, with only one point separating them.”
- “Her answer was as close as a thread to a needle, but not entirely accurate.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a stitch to the fabric 🧵
- As tight as a string to a bow 🎀
- As close as a link to the chain ⛓️
As close as a cloud to the sky
Meaning: Nearly the same, with little difference.
Example Sentences:
- “The two ideas were as close as a cloud to the sky, almost identical.”
- “Her guess was as close as a cloud to the sky, just a little off.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a raindrop to the ocean 🌧️
- As close as a breeze to the air 🌬️
- As near as a star to the night 🌌
As near as the tip of your finger
Meaning: Very close, within reach.
Example Sentences:
- “The solution was as near as the tip of your finger, just waiting to be found.”
- “The finish line was as near as the tip of your finger, just a step away.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a whisper to the ear 👂
- As near as a heartbeat to the chest 💓
- As tight as a button to the fabric 👚
As close as a lock to its key
Meaning: In perfect alignment or ready to fit together.
Example Sentences:
- “Their goals were as close as a lock to its key, perfectly matching.”
- “The answer was as close as a lock to its key, just waiting to be unlocked.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a puzzle piece to its place 🧩
- As close as a pair of shoes to their feet 👟
- As tight as a lid to a jar 🏺
As close as the ocean to the shore
Meaning: Almost touching, with only a small gap.
Example Sentences:
- “Their opinions were as close as the ocean to the shore, only a few words apart.”
- “The two plans were as close as the ocean to the shore, nearly identical.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a wave to the beach 🌊
- As close as a tide to the sand 🏖️
- As near as a shell to the water 🐚
As near as a spark to a flame
Meaning: Just one step away from becoming something significant.
Example Sentences:
- “The idea was as near as a spark to a flame, ready to ignite.”
- “Her excitement was as near as a spark to a flame, just waiting to burst.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a match to the fire 🔥
- As near as a fuse to the explosion 💥
- As tight as a firecracker to the wick 🎆
Common Similes for Close
As close as the sun to the horizon
Meaning: Almost there, but not quite.
Example Sentences:
- “The project completion was as close as the sun to the horizon, just a few steps left.”
- “Her understanding of the topic was as close as the sun to the horizon, nearly perfect.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as the dawn to the sky 🌅
- As close as the sunset to the sea 🌇
- As tight as the day to the night 🌞
As near as a drop of water to the ocean
Meaning: Almost identical or inseparable.
Example Sentences:
- “The two options were as near as a drop of water to the ocean, nearly the same.”
- “His answer was as near as a drop of water to the ocean, just a small difference.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a raindrop to the sea 🌧️
- As near as a stream to the river 🌊
- As tight as a wave to the shore 🌊
Approximately in a creative way
As close as a blade of grass to the earth
Meaning: Almost touching, very close.
Example Sentences:
- “The two teams were as close as a blade of grass to the earth, just a few points apart.”
- “Her guess was as close as a blade of grass to the earth, almost perfect.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a leaf to a tree 🍃
- As close as a flower to the ground 🌸
- As tight as a root to the soil 🌱
As close as a shadow to the body
Meaning: Very close, inseparable.
Example Sentences:
- “The two competitors were as close as a shadow to the body in their scores.”
- “The answer was as close as a shadow to the body, just a slight difference.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a whisper to the ear 👂
- As close as a companion to their partner 💑
- As tight as a stitch to the fabric 🧵
As near as the night to the stars
Meaning: Almost identical, very close in comparison.
Example Sentences:
- “Their thoughts were as near as the night to the stars, nearly the same.”
- “The two ideas were as near as the night to the stars, just a little different.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as the moon to the sky 🌙
- As near as a comet to the galaxy 🌠
- As tight as the stars to the sky 🌟
As close as a spark to a fire
Meaning: Almost about to ignite or become something more significant.
Example Sentences:
- “The idea was as close as a spark to a fire, ready to burst into action.”
- “Her excitement was as close as a spark to a fire, waiting to explode.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a match to the flame 🔥
- As close as a fuse to the explosion 💥
- As tight as a firecracker to the wick 🎆
As near as the stars to the night sky
Meaning: Very close, but still slightly apart.
Example Sentences:
- “The two solutions were as near as the stars to the night sky, nearly identical.”
- “Her answer was as near as the stars to the night sky, just a little off.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as the moon to the Earth 🌕
- As near as a planet to its orbit 🌍
- As tight as a constellation to the sky 🌌
Similes to express approximation
As close as a needle to the fabric
Meaning: Very close, nearly perfect.
Example Sentences:
- “The measurements were as close as a needle to the fabric, just a fraction off.”
- “The two competitors were as close as a needle to the fabric, only a few seconds apart.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a thread to the needle 🧵
- As close as a pin to a cushion 📍
- As tight as a stitch to the fabric 🪡
As near as the edge of a coin
Meaning: Almost identical, just a small difference.
Example Sentences:
- “The two opinions were as near as the edge of a coin, just slightly different.”
- “The two answers were as near as the edge of a coin, with only a small deviation.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as two peas in a pod 🌱
- As near as a blade of grass to the ground 🌾
- As tight as a puzzle piece to its place 🧩
As close as the ocean to the shore
Meaning: Very close, with little difference.
Example Sentences:
- “The two results were as close as the ocean to the shore, nearly identical.”
- “The difference between the two was as close as the ocean to the shore.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a wave to the beach 🌊
- As close as a tide to the sand 🏖️
- As tight as a shell to the water 🐚
Examples of Similes for Close in Sentences
As near as a match to a flame
Meaning: Very close, about to ignite.
Example Sentences:
- “The idea was as near as a match to a flame, ready to catch fire.”
- “Her enthusiasm was as near as a match to a flame, just waiting to burst out.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a spark to the fire 🔥
- As near as a fuse to the explosion 💥
- As tight as a firecracker to the wick 🎆
As near as a raindrop to the ocean
Meaning: Very close, almost identical.
Example Sentences:
- “The two competitors were as near as a raindrop to the ocean, only a slight difference.”
- “Her answer was as near as a raindrop to the ocean, nearly spot on.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a drop to the sea 🌧️
- As near as a stream to the river 🌊
- As tight as a wave to the shore 🌊
As close as a thread to a needle
Meaning: Very close, about to be perfectly aligned.
Example Sentences:
- “The two results were as close as a thread to a needle, just a tiny difference.”
- “Her guess was as close as a thread to a needle, almost perfect.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a stitch to the fabric 🧵
- As close as a link to the chain ⛓️
- As tight as a button to the shirt 👚
As near as a leaf to the tree
Meaning: Very close or inseparable.
Example Sentences:
- “The two options were as near as a leaf to the tree, just slightly different.”
- “Their bond was as near as a leaf to the tree, always connected.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a petal to the flower 🌸
- As near as a branch to the trunk 🌳
- As tight as a root to the soil 🌱
As close as a cloud to the sky
Meaning: Very close, almost inseparable.
Example Sentences:
- “The two competitors were as close as a cloud to the sky, only a few seconds apart.”
- “Her guess was as close as a cloud to the sky, just a little off.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As near as a breeze to the air 🌬️
- As close as a raindrop to the storm 🌧️
- As tight as the wind to the earth 🌪️
As near as a star to the sky
Meaning: Almost identical, very close.
Example Sentences:
- “The two ideas were as near as a star to the sky, nearly the same.”
- “The two results were as near as a star to the sky, only a tiny difference.”
Other Ways to Say It:
- As close as a comet to the galaxy 🌠
- As near as a moon to the night 🌙
- As tight as a constellation to the sky 🌌
Practical Exercise: Similes for Approximately
1. Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the correct simile for “approximately” from the options below.
- The meeting lasted _______ an hour, but not exactly.
- The new house is _______ the size of our old one.
- He arrived at the station _______ the expected time.
- The price of the phone is _______ what I had budgeted.
- The snowfall this year is _______ what it was last winter.
Options:
- as good as
- like a ballpark figure of
- about the same as
- close to
- roughly equal to
2. Multiple Choice
Choose the best simile that fits the sentence.
- His height is _______ his father’s.
a) like a mile away from
b) roughly the same as
c) as small as
d) exactly identical to - The project cost is _______ what we estimated.
a) far from
b) nowhere near
c) more or less like
d) as precise as - The weather today feels _______ yesterday’s.
a) just like
b) as opposite as
c) completely different from
d) unlike
3. Match the Simile with Its Meaning
| Simile | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Almost like | Close but not exact |
| As good as | Nearly the same |
| More or less like | Around that amount |
| Roughly the same as | Close in measure |
| Like a ballpark figure of | An approximate value |
Answers
1. Fill in the Blanks
- as good as
- roughly equal to
- close to
- about the same as
- like a ballpark figure of
2. Multiple Choice
- b) roughly the same as
- c) more or less like
- a) just like
3. Match the Simile with Its Meaning
1 → Close but not exact
2 → Nearly the same
3 → Around that amount
4 → Close in measure
5 → An approximate value
Conclusion
Using similes for “approximately” allows you to convey estimates and approximations more colorfully.
These comparisons make your writing feel more vivid and relatable, whether you’re describing a close call, a near match, or something that’s almost identical.
Experiment with these similes in your creative projects, speeches, and everyday conversations to bring your language to life.
