1
as in describes
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in distinguishes
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 characterizes
The network characterizes the request for edits as something that should be happening in the newsroom.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 June 2026
Near the end of the play, Majok’s script becomes, like Mann’s score, flatter and broader in its messaging, losing some of its sharpness of observation, and the humor that characterizes Kaysen’s memoir fades.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2026
While the blood-brain barrier may be unfamiliar to many, Papapetropoulos characterizes it simply as the brain’s security system.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
The Padres scored in the seventh because of another thing that characterizes the young Nationals, who are 28-28.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
The conflation of multimodality and hypertextuality has been labeled hypermodality by researchers in order to highlight that the dynamic web of connectivity that characterizes hypertexts goes beyond monomodal texts with recurrent and recognizable characteristics.
—Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
The couples who describe their relationship as genuinely easy — not without conflict, but without the grinding exhaustion that characterizes so many long-term partnerships — don’t tend to share the same hobbies or communication style.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
In the past couple of decades, however, Czernowin has deëmphasized the frantic gesturing that characterizes so much latter-day modernism.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Wilson’s approach to public life clearly has an element of what professional wrestlers call kayfabe—the winking, performative trollishness that now characterizes the online right.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 June 2026
Near the end of the play, Majok’s script becomes, like Mann’s score, flatter and broader in its messaging, losing some of its sharpness of observation, and the humor that characterizes Kaysen’s memoir fades.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2026
While the blood-brain barrier may be unfamiliar to many, Papapetropoulos characterizes it simply as the brain’s security system.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
The Padres scored in the seventh because of another thing that characterizes the young Nationals, who are 28-28.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
The conflation of multimodality and hypertextuality has been labeled hypermodality by researchers in order to highlight that the dynamic web of connectivity that characterizes hypertexts goes beyond monomodal texts with recurrent and recognizable characteristics.
—Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
The couples who describe their relationship as genuinely easy — not without conflict, but without the grinding exhaustion that characterizes so many long-term partnerships — don’t tend to share the same hobbies or communication style.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
In the past couple of decades, however, Czernowin has deëmphasized the frantic gesturing that characterizes so much latter-day modernism.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Wilson’s approach to public life clearly has an element of what professional wrestlers call kayfabe—the winking, performative trollishness that now characterizes the online right.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizes
Verb
-
Saronic’s website describes the Corsair as being capable of carrying up to 1,000 pounds over 1,000 nautical miles, with a top speed surpassing 34 knots.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
-
This notion is often reflected in the way someone describes their home, Gutowski notes.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
What ultimately distinguishes this new tier is the seamless cohesion of the journey, where recognition feels instinctive and personalized and appreciation is consistently and thoughtfully delivered at every touchpoint of the travel journey.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
4 June 2026
-
Chef Kevin Liao also distinguishes the kitchen with his illuminating Toisanese specialties, a regional subgenre of Cantonese cuisine either rarely seen in Los Angeles or so deeply assimilated into more generalized Cantonese menus that its distinctions are hard to parse.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
As Skeletor Actor and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto portrays Skeletor, the central villain in Masters of the Universe.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2026
-
Actress Meg Foster, as Skeletor’s henchwoman Evil-Lyn, is utterly wasted, as is lovely Chelsea Field, who portrays He-Man’s main squeeze Teela.—
Jeffrey Ressner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The law defines rodeos as spectator events that include bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, or any other event or activity that involves physically taking down an animal, roping an animal, or attempting to ride a bucking animal.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Advertisement Longevity is a theme that runs through our story on James—and one that defines its author too.—
Sam Jacobs,
Time,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizes. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
