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.

Is there a rule of thumb or a percentage of income at which entertainment spending starts to meaningfully impact long-term goals?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 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

A rule of thumb among economists is that a 5% increase in oil prices raises year-over-year measures of inflation by about 0.1 percentage points.

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

“The rule of thumb is that you buy at ten and sell at twenty.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis