Synonym Chooser

How is the word analyze distinct from other similar verbs?

The words break down and dissect are common synonyms of analyze. While all three words mean "to divide a complex whole into its parts or elements," analyze suggests separating or distinguishing the component parts of something (such as a substance, a process, a situation) so as to discover its true nature or inner relationships.

analyzed the collected data

In what contexts can break down take the place of analyze?

The meanings of break down and analyze largely overlap; however, break down implies a reducing to simpler parts or divisions.

break down the budget

When is it sensible to use dissect instead of analyze?

In some situations, the words dissect and analyze are roughly equivalent. However, dissect suggests a searching analysis by laying bare parts or pieces for individual scrutiny.

commentators dissected every word of the speech

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 analyze His teacher quickly got her students analyzing the poems of William Blake. Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2025 To make sense of the recurring post-hurricane peaks, Cabrera and colleagues analyzed how butterfly numbers varied with precipitation, wind speed, temperature and other meteorological variables. Marina Wang, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025 By analyzing these inputs, the AI crafts compositions that align with the content’s emotional tone and structure. Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025 Today, many funds and banks leverage machine learning algorithms to help analyze creditworthiness and business potential in a matter of days—or even hours. Dmitrii Khasanov, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for analyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for analyze
Verb
  • Androgyny plays a factor in Martine Rose, while femininity is dissected through an unabashed use of color and volume in all of Christopher John Rogers’s collections.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
  • It has been dissected in many an op-ed or BuzzFeed breakdown, received plenty of TikTok love, and, of course, rose to millennial meme fame.
    Sharareh Drury, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Last month, the Baltimore City Council hosted an oversight hearing to examine the culture and workplace safety of our Department of Public Works (DPW).
    Zac Blanchard, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Below, The Associated Press examines some of the potential reasons for Sanders’ free fall, using the QB’s own words, his father’s comments, the analysis of pundits and his on-the-field performance.
    David Brandt, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York assessed the challenge that Donald Trump has to deal with on the economy, one of two major factors the president promised to address ahead of the 2024 election.
    Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Still, Ukrainian military and intelligence officials have assessed that the North Koreans gained crucial battlefield experience and have been key to Russia’s strategy of overwhelming Ukraine by throwing large numbers of soldiers into the battle for Kursk.
    Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Dina investigates the nearby trees and returns to puke her guts out.
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief investigated the case.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The cafe permit request is being evaluated this spring by the state liquor control commission, while the town’s planning and zoning commission has set a June 5 public hearing on Tranquillity’s proposal to establish a gravel parking lot for more than 90 cars.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The Pentagon's acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins is evaluating Hegseth's use of Signal to determine whether classified information was shared in the initial group chat.
    Destinee Adams, NPR, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And in a third study, AI was used to help diagnose nonmelanoma skin cancers.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Hotez said epidemiologic studies show that children who received either the MMR vaccine, or vaccines containing thimerosal -- a compound used as a preservative in vaccines -- are not more likely to be diagnosed autism than kids who didn't receive those vaccines.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Analyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/analyze. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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