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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterizing
The company temporarily halted the work and offered to repair the road at no cost to the county, characterizing the work as a gift.
—
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Fresh, seasonal produce plays a large part in characterizing the taste of a place, and in Florida’s mild climate much of that flavor can be locally grown.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
The pick-up in optimism matches other data characterizing speculative appetite amid this year's extraordinary surge in tech stocks.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 May 2026
This is among the first steps in characterizing the quality of a particular cacao.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 May 2026
Democrats vow to fight on Suzan DelBene, the top fundraiser for House Democrats, denounced the Virginia Supreme Court decision, characterizing it as four unelected judges casting aside the will of voters.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, were stabbed in north London on Wednesday in an incident that national authorities are now characterizing as a terrorist attack.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
But those infractions do not justify characterizing an entire category of services that helps tens of millions of Americans remain in their homes as rife with fraud and in need of dramatic changes.
—Alison Barkoff, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
But those infractions do not justify characterizing an entire category of services that helps tens of millions of Americans remain in their homes as rife with fraud and in need of dramatic changes.
—Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Fresh, seasonal produce plays a large part in characterizing the taste of a place, and in Florida’s mild climate much of that flavor can be locally grown.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
The pick-up in optimism matches other data characterizing speculative appetite amid this year's extraordinary surge in tech stocks.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 May 2026
This is among the first steps in characterizing the quality of a particular cacao.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 May 2026
Democrats vow to fight on Suzan DelBene, the top fundraiser for House Democrats, denounced the Virginia Supreme Court decision, characterizing it as four unelected judges casting aside the will of voters.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, were stabbed in north London on Wednesday in an incident that national authorities are now characterizing as a terrorist attack.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
But those infractions do not justify characterizing an entire category of services that helps tens of millions of Americans remain in their homes as rife with fraud and in need of dramatic changes.
—Alison Barkoff, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
But those infractions do not justify characterizing an entire category of services that helps tens of millions of Americans remain in their homes as rife with fraud and in need of dramatic changes.
—Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
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Shoppers rave that the arm openings truly stand out, describing them as notably flattering and well-designed, without any awkward gaps.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
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Ahead of the wedding, Ptak got plenty of attention as the official wedding-cake baker from America, with reports describing her childhood in the small Marin County town of Inverness, next door to Point Reyes National Seashore.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The group blamed both the army and RSF and said some drones use visual monitoring technology capable of distinguishing targets, raising concerns that the attacks may not have been indiscriminate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
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Even Realities has launched its Even G2 smart glasses, distinguishing themselves from competitors like Meta by being deliberately camera- and speaker-free.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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At the same time, a growing chorus of conservative policymakers and activists has begun to question whether the government should pay family caregivers at all, portraying the programs as wasteful and prone to fraud.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
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Clay Travis also pointed out how Dennis is bad for ESPN’s business by portraying SEC schools and fans as racist.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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For customers and investors this might mean a lot more opportunities to build generation-defining companies without facing fundamental limits to scaling.—
Martin Casado,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s beauty sector is undergoing a transformation that is both commercially significant and culturally defining.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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