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
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2
as in distinguishes
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterizes
Under that view, a taxpayer who actively participates in management should not receive the benefit simply because state law characterizes the interest as a limited partnership interest.
—
Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
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
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
Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
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
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
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What These Treatments Actually Cost At the mass-market end, Restore Hyper Wellness describes itself as the largest direct-to-consumer wellness provider in the country, with more than 200 studios nationwide as of May 2026.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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In this installment, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer describes living in Venice while completing his latest novel Villa Coco.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Shortly after qualifying, Gilbert spoke with CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede and argued that his experience leading Miami Gardens and serving on the Miami-Dade County Commission distinguishes him from the rest of the field.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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The article distinguishes between burnout, stemming from unsustainable demands, and deeper disconnection, a desire for a new career direction.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Mitre’s film portrays the birth of a civil resistance movement and the state’s infiltration operation designed to destroy it.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
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Depicting her friendship with the trans actress Candy Darling (a sensitive turn by Stephen Dorff), the story portrays how Solanis came to write her notorious SCUM Manifesto (an acronym for the Society for Cutting Up Men) and the spiral of rejection that led to her desperate act of violence.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Not every patient defines success the same way.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
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This brick colonial, tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in Devonwood, one of Farmington’s premier communities, defines design excellence, luxury, and comfort.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizes. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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