1
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to identify
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguish
They are taught to question traditions, but not to distinguish between just and unjust ones.
—
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
The coding agent might help Microsoft distinguish its developer tools from alternatives from companies such as Atlassian and GitLab.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 19 May 2025
The researchers distinguished between moderate and vigorous exercise by applying a simple test: whether subjects could still manage to speak full sentences after moving around.
—Paul Von Zielbauer, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Author Jones slowly reveals Nicole’s love affair with the head of the hottest band in England, kept secret because her younger sister has an unhealthy crush on Ben and can’t distinguish her fantasies from real life.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
The coding agent might help Microsoft distinguish its developer tools from alternatives from companies such as Atlassian and GitLab.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 19 May 2025
The researchers distinguished between moderate and vigorous exercise by applying a simple test: whether subjects could still manage to speak full sentences after moving around.
—Paul Von Zielbauer, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Author Jones slowly reveals Nicole’s love affair with the head of the hottest band in England, kept secret because her younger sister has an unhealthy crush on Ben and can’t distinguish her fantasies from real life.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
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Some teenagers are considering professional certifications and skill-building courses to differentiate themselves and build their resumes.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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These efforts are still early, but AI companies are also trying to differentiate themselves from rivals such as Amazon and Google that also have chatbots and AI shopping features.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Verb
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The outline of the initial report — a contract extension for Crow-Armstrong potentially worth around $75 million — has been characterized as inaccurate.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The release didn't name the woman or identify any suspects in the shooting.—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
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Kendall Fortner, 24, was identified by the Associated Press as another victim, while a family member confirmed to CBS 8 that Dominic Damian also died.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Karen Walsh began to notice a change in her husband back in 2017.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
30 May 2025
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Other journalists noticed a drop-off in performance for the convertibles, and probably more so than the mild weight gains of just about 100 lbs (45 kg) might suggest.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Birders and organizations such as the American Ornithological Society have always classified them as separate species.—
Elay Shech,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
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Some would impose net neutrality requirements or classify ISPs as utilities, the filing said.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The odiferous hypocrisy of this administration is visible to everyone who has discerning eyes — or a sense of smell.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
29 May 2025
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But spectacle alone doesn’t captivate those with a discerning eye.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
23 May 2025
Verb
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JoJo Romero regaining his form Speaking of pitchers who have turned it around, Romero has found his groove again.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
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More information can be found online at pnw.edu/leadership-institute or by reaching out to the Leadership Institute at [email protected].—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The South African government has also been a vocal defender of Palestinians in Gaza who have seen their homes destroyed and access to food cut off by the Israeli military, a position that’s frustrated Trump administration officials.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
22 May 2025
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But the company said shoppers may still see price hikes as early as July.—
Serenah McKay,
Arkansas Online,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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