liken to
phrasal verb
likened to; likening to; likens to
: to describe (someone or something) as similar to (someone or something else)
Some critics have likened his writing to Faulkner's.
She likened her trip to a pilgrimage.
Examples of liken to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Newbies take the stage As on last year’s show, all eight nominees for best new artist will perform on Sunday’s telecast, this time in a single extended sequence that Winston likens to the experience of listening to the radio or to a playlist.
—
Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The practice allows home-state senators to block nominees from their state by withholding approval — a power Trump has likened to the Senate filibuster and urged Republicans to abolish.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
In some ways, the eyewitness videos have been a rebuttal to ICE’s formidable video production machine, which some commentators have likened to propaganda.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
In simpler terms, this ability can be likened to preemptive cellular engineering.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liken to
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The practice allows home-state senators to block nominees from their state by withholding approval — a power Trump has likened to the Senate filibuster and urged Republicans to abolish.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
In some ways, the eyewitness videos have been a rebuttal to ICE’s formidable video production machine, which some commentators have likened to propaganda.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
In simpler terms, this ability can be likened to preemptive cellular engineering.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liken to
Cite this Entry
“Liken to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liken%20to. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
