He went off to the People's Square or somewhere thereabouts.
Source: tatoeba (2389553)
Thereabouts
/ðɛəɹəˈbaʊts/
Synonyms for "thereabouts" (52 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (11)
Strong matches (15)
close aboutclose at handclose byfast byhardhard byhereabouthereaboutsin spitting distancein that placein that vicinityin those parts
Adverb(3 words)
estimated expressionhedge phrasein that vicinity
Related words (26)
just around the cornernearnear at handnearaboutnearaboutsnearbynighnigh aboutnot faronly a steptherethereaboutthereatthitherthitherwardthitherwardsto that placewithin callwithin earshotwithin hearing
Show 1 more word
within reach
Adverb(5 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: about, about, about that time, along toward, approximately.
- Sentence evidence is available for thereabouts, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "thereabouts".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "thereabouts"
Keep "thereabouts" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "thereabouts" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "thereabouts", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "thereabouts" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
6 entriesMore specific
7 entriesCollocations
5 entriesdozens or thereaboutsfive or thereaboutshundreds or thereaboutsthirty or thereaboutstwenty or thereabouts
Derivations
1 entriesSample sentences
13 total sentences available.
I might arrive in Kashgar or somewhere thereabouts tomorrow.
Source: tatoeba (2911619)
This Inspector, when I first knew him, was a man of fourscore years, or thereabouts, and certainly one of the most wonderful specimens of winter-green that you would be likely to discover in a lifetime’s search. With his florid cheek, his compact figure, smartly arrayed in a bright-buttoned blue coat, his brisk and vigorous step, and his hale and hearty aspect, altogether he seemed—not young, indeed—but a kind of new contrivance of Mother Nature in the shape of man, whom age and infirmity had no business to touch. His voice and laugh, which perpetually re-echoed through the Custom-House, had nothing of the tremulous quaver and cackle of an old man’s utterance; they came strutting out of his lungs, like the crow of a cock, or the blast of a clarion.
Source: tatoeba (12192485)
[W]e reſolv'd to put into a ſmall River, which however had a Depth enough of Water for us, and to ſee if we could, either over Land, or by the Ship's Pinnace, come to know what Ships were in any Port thereabouts.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "thereabouts"?
Closest matches include about, about, about that time, along toward, approximately.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "thereabouts"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.