compare over

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'compare over' is not a standard English phrase.
It is not used in formal written English. If you are looking for a phrase to mean something like 'compare to each other' or 'compare and contrast,' you could use the phrase 'compare with' instead. Example sentence: We can compare the two cities with each other to determine which is the better choice.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

How do these images compare over time?

The New York Times

RockPort makes software that allows companies to compare, over the Internet, the cost of various supplies.

The New York Times

"We compare over 100 websites to find your ideal hotel at the best price," says the voiceover.

The Guardian - Money

Bookbutler.co.uk- Bookbutler is a price comparison website which aims to compare over 55,000 titles being sold by online retailers (including Amazon and its subsidiary ABE Books).

Independent

I'm already wondering how far it is from Chichen Itza... Icelolly.com This holiday comparison website used to be a simple search engine, but is now a slick operation that claims to allow you to compare over 80 million holidays.

The Guardian - Travel

One way to assess the accuracy of management's estimates is to compare, over time, how much a company spends on new plant and equipment and how much it deducts in depreciation each year.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

Kaplan-Meier curves and associated log-rank tests were computed for selected descriptive statistics as well as to compare over- and under-expression (from the mean) of selected pathways.

Plosone

It was also intriguing to directly compare over- and underrepresented CC terms.

BMC Biology

A: One of the studies that I did -- one of my Ph.D. students also replicated -- compared over-the-ear headphones and earbuds.

Huffington Post

Individuals get a score, which can be compared over time.

The Guardian

This improvement was significant when compared over time (P = 0.0015).

Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When intending to show comparison over a period, use the structure "compare [x] over time" instead of "compare over [time]".

Common error

A common mistake is using "compare over" when "compare with" or "compare to" is grammatically correct. Ensure you're using the correct preposition to maintain clarity and accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compare over" functions as a verb phrase, typically aiming to describe the act of assessing similarities or differences between entities. However, according to Ludwig AI, its grammatical correctness is questionable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "compare over" is generally considered grammatically questionable in formal English. While it appears in various contexts, including news and scientific articles, its usage is often replaceable with more accurate alternatives like "compare with", "compare to", or "compare over time". Ludwig AI confirms that the correctness of the phrase is not standard. Therefore, it's best to exercise caution and prefer grammatically sound alternatives to maintain clarity and credibility in your writing. When indicating change throughout a period, instead, rely on the construction "compare [x] over time".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compare across

Replaces "over" with "across", suggesting comparison spanning different entities or categories.

compare through time

Specifies time as the dimension of comparison, replacing "over" with "through time" for clarity.

compare during

Uses "during" instead of "over", focusing on comparison within a specific timeframe.

contrast over

Replaces "compare" with "contrast", emphasizing the differences being assessed across a range or period.

evaluate over

Substitutes "compare" with "evaluate", shifting the focus to assessing value or performance across a spectrum.

analyze over

Replaces "compare" with "analyze", highlighting a detailed examination across a defined set of parameters.

differentiate over

Uses "differentiate" to underscore the distinguishing of characteristics across elements within a defined scope.

assess comparatively over

Includes "comparatively" to explicitly emphasize the nature of the assessment across a specific domain.

measure comparatively over

Emphasizes the quantitative aspect of comparison, using "measure" to highlight the assessment of quantities across a set.

compare in relation to

Replaces "over" with the more formal "in relation to", emphasizing the establishment of associations between entities.

FAQs

Is "compare over" grammatically correct?

Generally, "compare over" is not considered standard English. It's often more appropriate to use alternatives like "compare with", "compare to", or "compare across" depending on the context.

What can I use instead of "compare over" to talk about changes across time?

To indicate comparison across time, consider using "compare over time" or "compare through time". These phrases clearly convey the temporal aspect of the comparison.

Which preposition is correct after "compare": "with", "to", or "over"?

While "compare with" and "compare to" are standard, "compare over" is less common and often grammatically incorrect. Use "compare with" to highlight similarities and differences, and "compare to" to emphasize similarities. "Compare over" should generally be avoided in formal writing.

How does the meaning change when I use "compare with" versus "compare to"?

"Compare with" typically examines both similarities and differences, offering a balanced analysis. "Compare to" focuses primarily on similarities, often to illustrate a point or draw an analogy. When a period is involved, prefer "compare over time", instead.