1
as in describing
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 distinguishing
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of characterizing
Mandy Joye, an oceanographer specializing in microbiology at the University of Georgia, has spent decades characterizing microbes in hydrocarbon-rich habitats across the Gulf.
—
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hideout also closed for a couple of months beginning in November 2022 after former program director Mykele Deville issued a social media post characterizing the venue as a toxic workplace.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Albanese had been investigating human rights abuses in Palestinian territories and had started characterizing the Israeli aggression against Palestinians as a genocide.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
So far, lawmakers have been far from receptive to such an idea, with Republicans characterizing the effort as government overreach that would be counter to free-market ideals, one of the officials said.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hideout also closed for a couple of months beginning in November 2022 after former program director Mykele Deville issued a social media post characterizing the venue as a toxic workplace.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Albanese had been investigating human rights abuses in Palestinian territories and had started characterizing the Israeli aggression against Palestinians as a genocide.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
So far, lawmakers have been far from receptive to such an idea, with Republicans characterizing the effort as government overreach that would be counter to free-market ideals, one of the officials said.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
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Readers praised the baked goods and coffee at this North Center spot, with one reader describing it as an approachable and welcoming all-day spot.—
Kayla Samoy,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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South Korean officials responded by describing Kim’s statement as meaningful progress in relations.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Defenders can have a hard time distinguishing an intruder from a normal administrator in a busy environment, especially when the intruder is deliberately trying to make their actions look like ordinary activity.—
William Akoto,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of people attended the Via Crucis in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Good Friday, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the actor portraying Jesus in the final moments before his execution.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Laina Morris, for instance, has tried to move on from the image of her grinning, bug-eyed face that became a popular meme portraying her as an overly protective and clingy girlfriend.—
Ben Pettis,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The many-years-sober Levinson drew from his experiences as an addict to shape Euphoria, but more important were his edgelord proclivities, which went from shading the story of how these high-schoolers lived to defining it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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Long before Tucker Carlson brought great replacement talk into prime time on Fox News, VDARE treated the concept as the defining issue of our time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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