as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
we shouldn't compartmentalize the students into such restrictive categories as scholar and athlete, which are not mutually exclusive
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Recent Examples of compartmentalize
In situations of more extreme mental health issues, teens may not have the tools to navigate difficult feelings and instead, repress and compartmentalize their feelings as a way to cope.
—
Staff Author, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The premise isn’t without its intriguing ideas, too, like how dating-app technology has had a broader compartmentalizing effect on monogamous relationships in general.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
De-compartmentalize the rooms with a made-to-measure module.
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026
For a film such a this to arrive in a FIFA World Cup year is a stark reminder of the entwinement between soccer and corruption, and De Pauw’s performance as Mayor Dumont — a man inclined to compartmentalize and pass the buck — is wonderfully pathetic.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compartmentalize
Staff Author, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The premise isn’t without its intriguing ideas, too, like how dating-app technology has had a broader compartmentalizing effect on monogamous relationships in general.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
De-compartmentalize the rooms with a made-to-measure module.
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026
For a film such a this to arrive in a FIFA World Cup year is a stark reminder of the entwinement between soccer and corruption, and De Pauw’s performance as Mayor Dumont — a man inclined to compartmentalize and pass the buck — is wonderfully pathetic.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compartmentalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compartmentalize
Verb
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The initiative, funded by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other businesses, allowed gig companies to classify their workers as contractors rather than employees.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell made 14 recommendations on Thursday in her first interim report, five of which were not made public because they were classified as confidential for national security reasons.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hughes’ 2,914 points rank first in program history and 15th in NCAA history.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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Prosecutors say that Allen tried to storm the dinner − where Vice President JD Vance and others from the administration were also in attendance − with multiple guns and knives, intending to kill high-ranking officials.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Qualifying for the Champions League could boost revenue by a few hundred million; being relegated could cost a team an equal (or much greater) amount.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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The club was relegated in 2019, the first time in 68 years.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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College will still exist as a place—or, at least, as a website or app—that employers will use to distinguish one applicant from another.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
5 May 2026
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Diamond Recovery Group, a national network of drug and alcohol rehabilitation and mental health treatment facilities, continues to distinguish itself by earning and maintaining the highest level of accreditation in the industry.—
Ascend Agency,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
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There’s a lot more in the text of the Voting Rights Act that categorizes the relationship between race, political cohesion and voting power.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
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In addition to account categories and interactions based on age, the interactive gaming platform will also categorize the types of games played by age.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compartmentalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compartmentalize. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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