1
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
barely able to discern the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
too young to discern between right and wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of
we're still trying to discern the meaning of that cryptic remark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of discern
Our eyes have some detail-discerning properties that not even the best long-exposure photograph can match.
—
Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025
And Camila Falquez, whose subjects have included Zendaya and Kamala Harris, shot the Oscar-winning performer Ariana DeBose as the discerning woman with a magnifying glass drawn by Lorenzo Mattotti in 1999.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Seattle’s direction is becoming more difficult to discern, a question that increasingly hangs over the team.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The social and cultural calendars of discerning art collectors in Abu Dhabi and the Hamptons will be enhanced with two new events over the next 12 months.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025
And Camila Falquez, whose subjects have included Zendaya and Kamala Harris, shot the Oscar-winning performer Ariana DeBose as the discerning woman with a magnifying glass drawn by Lorenzo Mattotti in 1999.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Seattle’s direction is becoming more difficult to discern, a question that increasingly hangs over the team.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The social and cultural calendars of discerning art collectors in Abu Dhabi and the Hamptons will be enhanced with two new events over the next 12 months.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
Verb
-
His mother, Lucia Ayala, visited him weekly and noticed the onset of a cough, the outlet said.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Security sweep on course As the Republican candidate stood on the fifth-hole putting green last September, Fercano, the Secret Service agent, was riding a golf cart in a security sweep of the sixth hole and noticed someone hiding behind a chain-link fence in the southeast corner of the course.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Doble said what differentiates Explorium Distilled's concept from Good City Brewing is going to focus more on curating a robust selection of cocktails alongside their brews and food offerings.—
Angelika Ytuarte,
jsonline.com,
24 Sep. 2025
-
How did the team at Sucker Punch try to differentiate the soundtrack for Ghost of Yōtei from the previous game?—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some leaders and business development professionals get ahead of themselves, trying to show benefits without fully understanding the pain points and issues affecting their teams, leads and customers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Finding additional examples could help astronomers better understand how often such ejections occur and shed new light on the complex life cycles of the universe's smallest galaxies.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The slough, which can be seen from the BART pedestrian bridge that brings event attendees into the Coliseum grounds, also receives runoff from the Arroyo Viejo and Lion creeks, a pair of urban streams known for their pollution.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The Raiders had a chance to get even closer at the end of the half, but saw the clock run out after a Smith scramble to the five.—
Matt Roy,
Boston Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Three batches will be released annually in January, May, and September, each distinguished by unique variations in flavor, age, and proof.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
-
At the time of his father’s death, Henry was a student at Balliol College, Oxford; perhaps because of his difficult family circumstances, his academic record wasn’t distinguished.—
Ben Yagoda,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Both members are known to hold their votes during many large, contentious votes in an effort to get more spending cuts.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Sep. 2025
-
As people now know, there was a quarter percentage point (also known as 25 basis points) interest rate cut.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The best ways to store peanut butter and how to spot signs of spoilage.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The seven-time Formula 1 champion was spotted wearing the new watch that the Italian marque designed with Richard Mille ahead of the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Its strong first-week performance suggests there is, in fact, an audience hoping to decipher the mind of Ye all of these years later.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Many of which have yet to be deciphered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share