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 common rule of thumb for builder investors is buy the stocks when they trade at one-times book value and sell at two-times book value.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

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

“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

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

“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