as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
we shouldn't compartmentalize the students into such restrictive categories as scholar and athlete, which are not mutually exclusive
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Recent Examples of compartmentalize
Also, this team had been good all season at compartmentalizing and being unmoved by things outside their control.
—
Dianna Russini, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
But Knife is careful to avoid giving the assailant too much space in the narrative, as if compartmentalizing his role was somehow a necessary part of the writer’s rehabilitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
But he’s learned to compartmentalize that pain.
—Sofi Zeman
january 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Having built and maintained a brick wall between his two worlds, Angelo has seamlessly juggled and compartmentalized for years.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compartmentalize
Dianna Russini, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
But Knife is careful to avoid giving the assailant too much space in the narrative, as if compartmentalizing his role was somehow a necessary part of the writer’s rehabilitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
But he’s learned to compartmentalize that pain.
—Sofi Zeman
january 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Having built and maintained a brick wall between his two worlds, Angelo has seamlessly juggled and compartmentalized for years.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compartmentalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compartmentalize
Verb
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The Minnetonka Fire Department classified Johnson's death as a line-of-duty death.—
Ray Campos,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The French philosopher argued that the author is not a true creator but a functional, historical construct designed to classify and limit the meaning of texts.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Washington state already ranks a dismal 45th out of the 50 states in tax friendliness because of a heavy burden of sales, capital gains, property and excise taxes.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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DeRozan, who ranks 18th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 26,573 points, went 11 of 21 from the field, 1 of 3 from 3-point range and 18 of 21 at the free-throw line.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Still, a handful of spots across Orange County (many relegating the dining style to Sunday brunches) continue to keep the format alive, and well worth a trip.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
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That’s a style that’s relegated mostly to scotch whisky (although, despite what many people believe, only a small proportion of scotch is actually smoky).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pelé Soccer might assert its use of the photograph in apparel products reflects the company’s design creativity and adds new meaning that distinguishes it from the original work.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Mar. 2026
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While facelift surgeons quibble over semantics and what truly distinguishes one method from another, ultimately, all modern facelifts adjust the SMAS (muscle layer) in some way.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Our methodology To determine the top rental platforms, CNBC Select categorized our picks by best for renting out your home, best for renting out your pool, best for renting out your car and best for renting out miscellaneous items.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
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Games that aren't supported by the Steam Deck because of performance or SteamOS compatibility issues will be automatically categorized as unsupported on the Steam Frame.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compartmentalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compartmentalize. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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