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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of discern
This one rose to near the top of my list — and my very discerning teenage son’s.
—
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
The incident was captured on a doorbell camera — further reason to learn how to discern the difference between real and AI-generated content.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Others were harder to discern, like a boy being swept away by a tornado, or homeless men being inserted into people’s homes.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Our Rei-Tan process elevates mycelium to a level that has won the hearts of some of the world’s most discerning designers.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
The incident was captured on a doorbell camera — further reason to learn how to discern the difference between real and AI-generated content.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Others were harder to discern, like a boy being swept away by a tornado, or homeless men being inserted into people’s homes.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Our Rei-Tan process elevates mycelium to a level that has won the hearts of some of the world’s most discerning designers.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
Verb
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Harvey brings a distinctive approach to the nuclear narrative, one shaped by childhood memories of hearing about French President Jacques Chirac and the Rainbow Warrior bombing, but noticing the absence of First Nations voices in those stories.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
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Victims may not notice until much later, when more money has been taken.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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The low-cut vamp differentiated itself from the traditional pump aesthetic with an angular square outline.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both also connected really deeply with their big-name players and understood how to communicate with those individuals to get the best out of them.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Deadline understands that 26 crew members of Tulsa King‘s 600-member crew were asked not to return for Season 4, which is expected to resume production in a week.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Say the managers see a software provider on the block at a bargain price, and want to add it to a tech portfolio.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Conversely, first responders wouldn’t be able to see what's going on inside the aircraft.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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People would devote entire dissertations to developing techniques for distinguishing handwritten digits or for recognizing faces in images; then a deep-learning algorithm would digest the underlying data, discover the subtleties of the problem, and make those projects seem obsolete.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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The combination of global expertise and local craftsmanship distinguishes Thailand’s offerings.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The charitable organization funded by the Johnson & Johnson heiress is known for gifts to education, health and civic projects.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perry and Trudeau first sparked romance rumors over the summer, when they were spotted on a date in Montreal, Canada.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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Shawn Mayes, a longtime Terpsichore dancer, remembered when MTV did a bar crawl and spotted the dancers and put it on camera.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dreams are a concept that humans have been fascinated with deciphering for thousands of years.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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Its inscriptions are currently being deciphered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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