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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguish
In addition, the NCAA argued that time limits on how long college students can play sports help to distinguish college sports from pro sports.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Sharing the rationale behind decisions helps employees distinguish between genuine urgency and unnecessary drama.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Since then, the Israeli military’s operation in Gaza has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Sharing the rationale behind decisions helps employees distinguish between genuine urgency and unnecessary drama.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Since then, the Israeli military’s operation in Gaza has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
-
The Training Day star attributed the shift in how people came to pronounce his name to his mother, who needed a way to differentiate between him and his father, who shares the same name.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The rule dates back to the 19th century and was founded by old-money circles in the Northeast to differentiate themselves from the nouveau riche trying to infiltrate the social elite.—
Starr Bowenbank,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To meet the demand of both bleisure and family travelers, hotel partners are introducing new room types focused on longer stays, with room types that are offered in a variety of price ranges, characterized by apartment elements that allow for long-stay comfort.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The foundation identified access to affordable housing and access to cash and capital as leading issues, and prioritized funding strategies to address those needs, Bishop said.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Kelley was being held on a $5,000 bond and was charged with two class B misdemeanors of electronic disclosure of personal identifying information and electronic communications harassment.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That 2024 law induced the companies to decrease the odds of winning, which negatively affected bettors in the aggregate, albeit not in so direct a way that the casual gambler would notice.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The star, classified as IRAS 04302+2247, or IRAS 04302, is a protostar, with its disk measuring at around 40 billion miles (65 billion km) wide.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
It was classified as a heritage site in 1995 and then as a national monument in 1997.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Guests discerned that their experiences were better at specific races, and attendance numbers fluctuated across the seasons.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
-
This compelling vision of personalized, timeless luxury has resonated with a discerning clientele, including a growing roster of celebrities and influencers who have been spotted wearing NB44.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In each case, magistrate judges had already found probable cause to proceed with the charges forward, yet jurors opted not to return indictments.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Ease off the accelerator - Step off the gas to slow down the vehicle until the tires find traction.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Taylor also drew false-start and holding penalties in the first half, and teammate Travis Kelce had seen enough during the Chiefs’ season-opening game Friday against the Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
However, only select regions will get to see the eclipse, including New Zealand, southern Australia, parts of the Pacific and Atlantic, Asia, Africa, and Antarctica.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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