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
Said invitation shall be extended only to those discerning few wise enough to
have signed my Ledger.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 11 June 2025
Most blind people can discern between light and dark.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 6 June 2025
Today’s discerning little travelers—and their (presumably) exhausted parents—demand more.
—Forbes Staff, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Some Americans worried that all these changes—and all these strangers—undermined their ability to discern people’s authentic identities.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Greg Evans, Deadline, 11 June 2025
Most blind people can discern between light and dark.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 6 June 2025
Today’s discerning little travelers—and their (presumably) exhausted parents—demand more.
—Forbes Staff, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Some Americans worried that all these changes—and all these strangers—undermined their ability to discern people’s authentic identities.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
Verb
-
Authorities were first alerted to a potential issue after Disneyland Paris staff noticed that the bride at a pre-scheduled wedding appeared alarmingly young, per The Sunday Times.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
23 June 2025
-
But once the group noticed that Ginny had already died and turned to a zombie, Maggie could not finish the job, and instead handed her knife to Negan to finish off the young girl.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
This structure differentiates Microsoft Teams from other messaging apps.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 June 2025
-
The model could identify risk two days earlier than other models that had attempted to predict bad outcomes; CONCERN differentiated itself by tapping into nurses' practices and detecting patterns of concern in their documentation.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
People don’t often understand how much support goes into helping a refugee get acclimated to life in the U.S., especially early on, one employee that asked not to be named told The Star.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
23 June 2025
-
It’s well understood among museum professionals that people like to look at bodies.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
And club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is first on the list of those the club would like to see leave before the end of the transfer window.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
-
Lorde keeps it casual in New York as she is seen outside of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on June 24.—
Grace Harrington,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Lawyers are expected to distinguish between sound arguments and narcissistic wordplay.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
-
Savvy operators are beginning to distinguish between short-term curiosity spend and deeper, more sustainable value.—
Vlad Panin,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
The Trump administration said the strikes destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
The Orlando Sentinel revealed Osceola County deputies responded dozens of times to The Eclipse since 2022, suggesting the business’ existence was known long before it was raided by authorities on Aug. 27 of last year.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
On Saturday, the 41-year-old actress and director was spotted climbing out of the water after enjoying a dip in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Taormina, Sicily.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2025
-
This week, the star was spotted in Los Angeles taking her dog—and bob—for a walk in a red Jacquemus dress and black heels.—
Essence,
Essence,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
In other words, there was too much atmospheric static to decipher information using classical techniques.—
Joanna Thompson,
Space.com,
21 June 2025
-
Mortgage professionals have mastered the art of deciphering hidden meanings, changing fears into wisdom and confusion into action.—
Neil Anders,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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