as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a novice birder still learning the distinguishing features of various finches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiating
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizing
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identifying
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 noticing
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 classifying
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 distinguishing
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
The motion detection is smart, too, distinguishing among people, pets, and vehicles, which reduces false alerts.
—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
29 June 2026
The artist wanted to address the growing difficulty of distinguishing between reality, manipulation, and representation.
—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
25 June 2026
One of the most distinguishing features of the new planes are the colors painted on its exterior.
—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Those cases involved searches for private residences, however, distinguishing them from searches related to political party headquarters, Crocker said.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
The original combat variant, which the company is already producing, will now carry the designation CA-1KA (Kinetic Attack), distinguishing it from the new electronic warfare model.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 June 2026
Verb
The region’s altitude and cold nights help preserve acidity and aromatics in the wines, distinguishing Amyndeon from Greece’s warmer coastal and island appellations.
—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
The motion detection is smart, too, distinguishing among people, pets, and vehicles, which reduces false alerts.
—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
29 June 2026
The artist wanted to address the growing difficulty of distinguishing between reality, manipulation, and representation.
—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
25 June 2026
One of the most distinguishing features of the new planes are the colors painted on its exterior.
—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Those cases involved searches for private residences, however, distinguishing them from searches related to political party headquarters, Crocker said.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
The original combat variant, which the company is already producing, will now carry the designation CA-1KA (Kinetic Attack), distinguishing it from the new electronic warfare model.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishing
Adjective
-
In the photos, Blondeau is seen in her characteristic bun adorned with flowers and white cape-overlay gown, holding a calla lily bouquet.
-
As radio waves travel across the universe, interstellar gas muddies them, generating a characteristic delay in the signal that depends on frequency.
Verb
-
In that environment, structure itself becomes a differentiating factor.
-
There will be no differentiating paragraphs for the Spurs fans.
Verb
-
White added some thoughts about focusing in on people, characterizing what often happens in collaborations.
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Supporters of the high-earner tax for public education have been quick to stress it’s been in place for more than a decade, characterizing any rollback of it as a tax cut for the wealthy.
Verb
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Some collars contained license numbers, names, and other identifying information.
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The summit will focus on educating the community about regenerative agriculture and other sustainable practices and identifying barriers of entry and solutions to those barriers for farmers.
Verb
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That matters because adults wait an average of nine years after first noticing hearing loss before treating it.
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Research has increasingly pointed to app designs built for engagement and addiction rather than actual matchmaking, and users are noticing.
Verb
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About a week before Illinois passed its law classifying prediction markets as sports betting operators, the CFTC proposed new rulemaking that lays out how the commission would manage its exclusive control over regulating these markets.
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The British meteorological service has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat in the days forward, classifying the coming wave as a risk to life.
Adjective
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The Lebanese Australian producer created his distinctive style by blending sounds from the Arab world with hard-hitting bass music.
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Banfield-Norris, who is Jaden’s grandmother, served a softer contrast to her grandkids’ shoes, opting for the elegant Christian Louboutin Senora leopard-print sandals, which feature a distinctive red sole and a T-strap design.
Verb
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On Wednesday, officers arrested the suspect after spotting him in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, according to the police statement.
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The lower the number, the brighter the object, with the human eye capable of spotting targets down to a magnitude of +6 from a dark sky location.
Cite this Entry
“Distinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishing. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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