1
as in choosing
to decide upon (the time or date for an event) usually from a position of authority
the designated time for the meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in appointing
to pick (someone) by one's authority for a specific position or duty
he has yet to designate his successor as head of the firm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in naming
to give a name to
he was designated "Air Jordan" by his fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of designating
Snow squalls and high winds The CBS News Detroit weather team has been monitoring the forecast all weekend, designating Monday as a NEXT Weather Alert Day because of the potential impacts.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Defense attorney Kathy Nester did not object, and Graf granted the request, officially designating Kirk's widow as the victim's representative.
—Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Trump signed an executive order in early March designating English as the country’s official language.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
The move comes less than 24 hours after the Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates swung a five-player trade, with Boston designating Criswell for assignment in order to open a roster spot.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Washington has pursued increasingly aggressive maneuvers against Maduro — designating him as a terrorist and deploying warships in the Southern Caribbean — in what is suspected to be a campaign to overthrow him.
—semafor.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Alaska's emergency management division does not have formal agreements with the state's education department designating schools as emergency shelters, and neither agency has funding to help maintain schools specifically as emergency shelters.
—Emily Schwing, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
The pews are filled with young families who sit next to older men and women adorned in speciality attire, designating their involvement with either the women's ministry or men's ministry.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2025
The conservative Heritage Foundation, the architects of Project 2025, have encouraged the President to focus on transgender people and their families, designating them as domestic terrorists.
—Colleen Hamilton, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Defense attorney Kathy Nester did not object, and Graf granted the request, officially designating Kirk's widow as the victim's representative.
—Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Trump signed an executive order in early March designating English as the country’s official language.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
The move comes less than 24 hours after the Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates swung a five-player trade, with Boston designating Criswell for assignment in order to open a roster spot.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Washington has pursued increasingly aggressive maneuvers against Maduro — designating him as a terrorist and deploying warships in the Southern Caribbean — in what is suspected to be a campaign to overthrow him.
—semafor.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Alaska's emergency management division does not have formal agreements with the state's education department designating schools as emergency shelters, and neither agency has funding to help maintain schools specifically as emergency shelters.
—Emily Schwing, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
The pews are filled with young families who sit next to older men and women adorned in speciality attire, designating their involvement with either the women's ministry or men's ministry.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2025
The conservative Heritage Foundation, the architects of Project 2025, have encouraged the President to focus on transgender people and their families, designating them as domestic terrorists.
—Colleen Hamilton, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designating
Verb
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According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2026 Kitchen Trends Report, homeowners are increasingly choosing appliances that create a better environment for cooking and gathering.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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This path begins with choosing leaders who will put principle over politics and ideology, with a promise to focus on the middle class as the center of every policy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Skydance also committed in writing to various ideological reforms, including appointing an anti-bias ombudsman at the network.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Decatur Commissioners have been appointing a mayor since the city's inception more than two centuries ago.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Tennessean is not naming those charged until additional information is provided.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The release did not disclose the terms of the naming rights deal.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Listed at 6-foot, 205 pounds, Colandrea started 17 games in 2023 and 2024 at Virginia, setting UVA freshman records for completions and passing yards.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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However, above-normal temperatures will allow tree pollen cones to continue opening, setting the stage for another pollen surge when the next breezy cold front arrives.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Anyone who thinks that this is an issue that could have been solved by nominating a couple more Spider-Man movies is fooling themselves.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
-
At that state party convention, delegates rejected then gubernatorial nominee Mike Braun's preferred running mate, instead nominating Beckwith by several dozen votes.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Even calling it a magazine is a conscious way of trying to distinguish the work producers are putting months and months of effort into recording and writing from what podcasting has become.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The negative reviews — some going as far as calling All’s Fair the worst show ever with the worst acting — triggered a new media cycle of stories.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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According to researchers at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute, the characteristics of nanotubes can be precisely tuned by selecting specific atomic compositions.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
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Get the most from your investment by selecting trees that provide year-round beauty.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Broncos offered video evidence showing Oden, a senior forward, committing five fouls — and referee David Walker making the wrong hand signal to the official scorer on his third, assigning it to sophomore forward Pharaoh Compton instead.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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Along the way, fans began assigning the corgi her own superstar nickname.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Designating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designating. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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