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manifest

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verb

manifest

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective manifest contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of manifest are apparent, clear, distinct, evident, obvious, patent, and plain. While all these words mean "readily perceived or apprehended," manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required.

manifest hostility

How do apparent and evident relate to one another, in the sense of manifest?

Apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference.

for no apparent reason

When could clear be used to replace manifest?

The words clear and manifest can be used in similar contexts, but clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern.

a clear explanation

In what contexts can distinct take the place of manifest?

The meanings of distinct and manifest largely overlap; however, distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required.

a distinct refusal

When might evident be a better fit than manifest?

While in some cases nearly identical to manifest, evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion.

an evident fondness for sweets

Where would obvious be a reasonable alternative to manifest?

While the synonyms obvious and manifest are close in meaning, obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer.

the obvious solution

When can patent be used instead of manifest?

The words patent and manifest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it.

patent defects

When is plain a more appropriate choice than manifest?

Although the words plain and manifest have much in common, plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration.

her feelings about him are plain

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 manifest
Adjective
Devastating Pyrotechnics has imported more than 240 shipping containers of fireworks into the country since 2019, according to bills of lading compiled by Import Info, a private company that collects and hosts a database of U.S. Customs’ import manifests. Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025 However, after years of speculation, leaks, and shipping manifests, Digital Foundry suggests that the Switch 2’s processor is an ARM Cortex A78C with CPU clocks that hit 998MHz (docked) and 1,101MHz (mobile), with a max clock speed of 1.7GHz. PC Magazine, 6 July 2025
Verb
The arbitrator's award is usually final since the courts may only review an arbitration award for some very serious error, sometimes known as manifest error, such as where the arbitration process in a particular case was corrupt or if the arbitrator exceeds his or her authority. Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 Michael Kimmelman, The Times’s chief architecture critic and Headway’s editor at large, recently had the chance to see one of these back-to-the-future visions made manifest. New York Times, 1 May 2025
Noun
No economist need specialize in economic history to know, for example, that effects of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act were still manifesting themselves four years after its implementation. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 3 Aug. 2025 Ever since the Vietnam War, a distrust of the establishment has taken root and grown deep, manifested in a fear of yielding broad powers without adequate controls and limitations. Seth David Radwell, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manifest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manifest
Adjective
  • The same trend was evident at the World Artificial Intelligence Film Festival in Nice, where emotional storytelling prevailed over technical skill.
    Bogdan Nesvit, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2025
  • This greater understanding of how to effectively use AI was evident as brands used the technology in more compelling, smarter ways across campaigns.
    Emily Ketchen, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Further, staggered flashbacks reveal Corry’s lifelong anxiety over abandonment, stemming from the death of her mother in childbirth; the personal resonance of her mission at work to heal young families facing death and disease becomes poignantly clear.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
  • But any study of Maye’s recent tape reveals a quarterback playing simply to survive at times behind bad offensive lines — his last at North Carolina and his first in New England.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, the 28-year-old actress embodies a 20-year-old Knox as she's wrongfully convicted for the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Italy.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Empathetic leadership can be embodied by anyone—from managers overseeing entire departments to those leading specific projects.
    Davide Sartini, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Markets Reflect Lower Economic Risk The S&P 500’s small gain for the week is deceiving, as the index closed lower in the first four days of the trading week before rising by 1.5% following Powell’s comments on Friday.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The heat index — the mix of air temperatures and humidity — is expected to climb into the triple digits.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Council members asked the developer to address height concerns, add more than one parking space for loading and deliveries, and to rework window placements to address privacy issues.
    Ryan Macasero, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The researchers measured knee pain, knee loading, and cartilage microstructure (using MRI scanning) at regular intervals over 12 months.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • And its author has become the namesake of this phenomenon of apparent contradictions.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The apparent change to his game, the sacrifice and compromise of the individual in favour of the collective, has delivered five major trophies and taken him to the very top of the sport.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speech is displayed on a television as traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on Aug. 22, 2025 in New York City.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025
  • There will still be the chance to display betting firms on the sleeves of kits, advertising boards and on training wear, but it is forecast that the value of some sponsorship deals could be halved in the next 12 months.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Federal legislation banning the app, if its U.S. assets are not sold by ByteDance, came after some government officials expressed concern that TikTok poses a national security threat, believing ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, is sharing U.S. user data with China.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Other workers expressed concerns about what could happen if stricter safety measures aren’t enacted at the battery plant.
    Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 21 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manifest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manifest. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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