1
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
barely able to discern the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
too young to discern between right and wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of
we're still trying to discern the meaning of that cryptic remark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of discern
The reason for the price jumps is easy to discern.
—
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Travel companies are catering to discerning travelers who want the independence of the open road with some luxury touches along the way.
—Stacey Lastoe, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
Over the past few years, Father John Misty — the alter-ego of Josh Tillman — has established himself as a reliable festival performer who appeals to both discerning and casual fans.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Here, my full review of the best hotel in New York City, as voted by T+L’s discerning readers.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Travel companies are catering to discerning travelers who want the independence of the open road with some luxury touches along the way.
—Stacey Lastoe, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
Over the past few years, Father John Misty — the alter-ego of Josh Tillman — has established himself as a reliable festival performer who appeals to both discerning and casual fans.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Here, my full review of the best hotel in New York City, as voted by T+L’s discerning readers.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
Verb
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Crew aboard the ship noticed that the engine room—a long and narrow chamber—was the weakest, and was where multiple beams buckled under the pressure of the ice.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
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Neither that notice nor the agenda for the meeting, posted the day before, gave details about which property the board would be voting on or its intended use.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Acute cystitis can be differentiated with a urine culture (used to isolate and identify bacteria).—
MD Published,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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For example, in some cases, Koestline says synthetic exosomes are enhanced with surface proteins to differentiate them from traditional liposomes and improve their targeting.—
Victoria Moorhouse,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Laughter from the crowd breaks the tension of what could have been understood as metaphor for Netanyahu’s actions.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Plenty of Nashvillians can probably understand the Maxwell House coffee brand’s recent marketing move.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unfortunately, fans won't be able to see LeBron or Luka on the court with the team for Friday's game, though.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
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Many who took the survey saw Goldberg-Polin as too moral to get involved in the rough and tumble world of Israel’s fractious political scene.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, has tallied more than 66,000 deaths from Israel’s military operations, though that total does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
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And investors have a hard time in the middle of this excitement, distinguishing between the good ideas and the bad ideas.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The next manager will be their sixth in nine seasons — enough for any sensible person to know that the problem extends far beyond that chair.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Horror fans often travel to destinations featured in scary movies or known for spooky legacies.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On third-and-11 in the first quarter, Iamaleava spotted a sliver of daylight that wasn’t there a blink before and turned it into a 22-yard jailbreak up the gut, gliding past white jerseys.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Mother and son were moving toward the back when Jasper spotted the shooter.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its strong first-week performance suggests there is, in fact, an audience hoping to decipher the mind of Ye all of these years later.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
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Many of which have yet to be deciphered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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