rule of thumb

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“A very simple rule of thumb for tactical liquidation is when gold and equities crash together, which usually signals margin call / liquidation-esque behavior,” they say.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

As a rule of thumb, each additional $10 increase in a barrel of oil adds about 0.2 percentage point to the Labor Department’s inflation reading, calculates Brusuelas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

When looking for a sweet spot to buy back into stocks, Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek, told MarketWatch that seeing the VIX close at 27.5 or above is as a solid rule of thumb.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

“My usual rule of thumb is, move the decimal point one place to the left,” Matheson said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

“Over the years military planners have arrived at a rule of thumb which dictates that functional fighting units cannot be substantially larger than 200 men,” Dunbar writes.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell