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type

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word type distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of type are character, description, kind, nature, and sort. While all these words mean "a number of individuals thought of as a group because of a common quality or qualities," type may suggest strong and clearly marked similarity throughout the items included so that each is typical of the group.

one of three basic body types

When can character be used instead of type?

While the synonyms character and type are close in meaning, character implies a group marked by distinctive likenesses peculiar to the type.

research on the subject so far has been of an elementary character

When is it sensible to use description instead of type?

The words description and type can be used in similar contexts, but description implies a group marked by agreement in all details belonging to a type as described or defined.

not all acts of that description are actually illegal

When might kind be a better fit than type?

The synonyms kind and type are sometimes interchangeable, but kind may suggest natural grouping.

a zoo seemingly having animals of every kind

When could nature be used to replace type?

Although the words nature and type have much in common, nature may imply inherent, essential resemblance rather than obvious or superficial likenesses.

two problems of a similar nature

When is sort a more appropriate choice than type?

While in some cases nearly identical to type, sort often suggests some disparagement.

the sort of newspaper dealing in sensational stories

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 type
Verb
That said, typing for more than a few minutes revealed a drawback: The laptop’s thick chassis and the longer-than-usual reach to the keyboard made the front edge press uncomfortably against my forearms. PC Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025 Asked by the newspaper’s lawyers to explain how the furtive system worked, Mr. Frankel typed up a 14-page memo. David W. Dunlap, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 One of my job duties is typing the school lunch menus for five school districts. Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025 Step number three is to type in the principal and interest portion of your monthly payment. Gary Sandler, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for type
Recent Examples of Synonyms for type
Noun
  • This year, the NBA had one of the largest footprints within the marketplace, celebrating its return to China in 2025 with two preseason games in Macau between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, marking the first event of its kind since 2019.
    Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The deal, reached under President Biden, was the first of its kind to treat environmental neglect as a civil rights issue.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Chicken-centric chains, notably Raising Cane’s and Wingstop, were the strongest performers among all restaurant categories in 2024.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
  • Viju Mathew Shifting gears from his degree in physical geography, Viju Mathew has spent the last decade covering most categories of the luxury market prior to becoming Robb Report's automotive editor.
    Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • How Businesses Can Remain Compliant Governance platforms and compliance partners focus on helping any business, from enterprises to startups, to monitor, identify, classify and ensure that AI is built in accordance to the new EU AI Act.
    Jessica Mendoza, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Of the 23 players in the squad that have made 11 or more league appearances this season, nine (almost 40 per cent) can be classified as long-distance internationals.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Dallas starters were a little out of sorts, and Bueckers struggled to find the appropriate balance between hunting her shot and feeding her teammates.
    Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • But Gen X—born somewhere between 1965 and 1980—has been largely forgotten about (although even saying that has become a cliché of sorts).
    Daisy Jones, Vogue, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez by a 131-84 margin in December to become the House Oversight Committee ranking Democrat.
    Amanda Castro Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • In total, 16 of the album’s songs populate this week’s 50-position chart, which ranks songs based a formula blending U.S. streaming and sales totals.
    Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • The awards show, which honors top hitmakers in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) genre each year, will return to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House on May 25, and will be hosted by Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Mac Powell and MercyMe‘s Bart Millard.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 2 May 2025
  • That literary trope turned rom-com convention gives structure to all six of her masterworks—which goes to show that the romance genre, far from mere escapism, can be an ideal lens through which to observe a society’s values.
    Judy Berman, Time, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • These seats will be grouped into two areas on the plane — one at the front, and one around the exit rows in the middle of the plane.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Vegetables can be grouped into two categories: Non-starchy and starchy.
    Lindsey DeSoto, Health, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In pale habits, black priests’ vestments, the dark suits of mourners and the stripes of football jerseys, hundreds of thousands gathered in Vatican City this week to mourn Pope Francis.
    Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Keep It Simple The trio of slim stripes on this runner give dimension but allow the artwork on the wall to shine.
    Katie Akin, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Type.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/type. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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