PARALLELS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

parallels 1 of 2

noun

plural of parallel

as in similarities

a point which two or more things share in common her professor pointed out some parallels between the two novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in equivalents

one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value an advance that is without parallel in the history of virology

Synonyms & Similar Words

parallels

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of parallel

as in matches

to be the exact counterpart of developments in the television show paralleled those in the lead actor's real life

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 parallels

Noun

Israeli forces continue to occupy buffer zone in an effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure, with restrictions drawing parallels to those in the West Bank. — Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026 This incident draws parallels to the Cruise crash, but Waymo has been transparent, unlike Cruise, whose poor post-crash communication led to its shutdown. — Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, understands how fans could see parallels between Rhaenra and Daenerys Targaryen from the original Game of Thrones and believes their paths has a lot to do with what the Iron Throne represents for all that seek it. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026 The Ramp study has parallels to a recent report by researchers at Google that found AI so far is mostly being used as a collaborative tool rather than an outright job-replacer. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 Some analysts drew parallels with Washington's support for Argentina's peso under President Javier Milei, when the country was battling currency instability ahead of key midterm elections. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 Obviously, there are parallels between Mitcham and Banderas’s Chef, who tells Tony wistfully about Provincetown’s clambakes—inspiring Tony and Sal to throw one. — Samantha Bergeson, Vanity Fair, 7 Aug. 2026 Next the researchers plan to look for more parallels with human language, beyond just Zipf’s law, that may facilitate learning in these species. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 Wuest was also fascinated by the themes explored by the film, and couldn’t help but notice parallels to our current moment. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026

Verb

Drawing parallels, the article suggests modern leaders can adopt Shackleton's strategies, enhanced by AI tools like ChatGPT. — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The vice president’s first book is Hillbilly Elegy, a title that closely parallels Appalachian Elegy, a poetry collection by the radical Black feminist author bell hooks. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026 The production ends with an extended hospital scene that parallels the orgy. — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Al-Zaidi’s visit parallels a trip by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last November, when the White House announced hundreds of billions of dollars in private and public commitments by the two countries. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 15 July 2026 Modern parallels The Progressive Era was a response to the Gilded Age driven by the late 19th century industrial revolution. — Mark Brilliant, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 Attorneys suing Lozano say her rise parallels an exponential increase in visa applications for trafficking and domestic abuse cases. — ABC News, 29 June 2026 Trump administration alleges ‘rampant fraud’ Attorneys suing Lozano say her rise parallels an exponential increase in visa applications for trafficking and domestic abuse cases. — Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Remnants of this dirt road can still be seen, and the road roughly parallels present-day Sherrill Road. — Arkansas Online, 27 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parallels

Noun

The system has similarities to offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann’s Spread-and-Shred offense, giving Weaver familiarity with a pass-heavy scheme built around timing and reads.

— Haddy Barghouti, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
According to Cofnas, the excerpts were flagged by a plagiarism detection software, which found similarities with another scholar’s 2009 dissertation.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of similarities

Verb

Air Force market research released before the current program indicated the service wanted a successor that matches or exceeds the protection offered by the EEU-2A/P while integrating more effectively with modern helmets and flight equipment.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Its interior design matches the vibe, with elegant period-style design complemented by touches of country life—riding boots placed beside a cast-iron fireguard inside, terracotta pots next to Victorian wrought-iron chairs on the outdoor patio.

— Katie Silcox, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of matches

Noun

To make the resemblances convincing, Gethings recruited participants by complementing their standout features and promising to accentuate them with the help of hair and makeup stylists in a studio setting.

— Pat Mueller, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Most of the film’s other resemblances, of which there are many, prove less distressing.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026

Definition of resemblances

Noun

Junk food is an aphrodisiac here, with KFC buckets and oodles of brightly colored brand-name candy acting as culinary counterparts to the junk cinema that’s activated something in the movie’s characters and its creator.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
The Palm Beach County school district, like its Broward and Miami-Dade counterparts, is facing the issue of decreasing enrollment.

— Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of counterparts

Noun

In interviews, colleagues and friends have painted the portrait of Galliano before his downfall as a brilliant designer as well as an incorrigible drunk who trashed hotel rooms.

— Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
To that end, Gabler and her colleagues wanted to know more about the composition of the slime of a particular kind of terrestrial species that's native to central Europe, called Cepaea nemoralis, or the brown-lipped snail.

— Ari Daniel, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of colleagues

Noun

The workflows are versioned, reused, and improved rather than disappearing after a single interaction, and Sunny regularly coordinates with other agents.

— Will Drover, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Alice, too, would come to embrace the cosmos, though her navigation involved a rather different set of coordinates.

— Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of coordinates

Noun

This annual autumn release allows manufacturing partners like TSMC to efficiently allocate custom silicon production for high-volume runs.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Some people have uninstalled the apps in protest or tried to upload their chat histories into other apps to try to resurrect their virtual partners.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of partners

Browse Nearby Words

parallelism

parallels

paralysis

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“Parallels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parallels. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of parallels

noun

verb

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