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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discern
In the absence of clear answers from the company, creators have struggled to discern how much of their pain is due to AI Overviews and how much is due to other changes in search.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
The onboard chef designs menus for discerning palates, while the mixologist presents craft cocktails that reflect your personal taste.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
While the buffer zone can be clearly seen in satellite imagery, its perimeter can be hard to discern on the ground and multiple Palestinians have been shot for entering the area, according to the testimonial of Israeli soldiers to Breaking the Silence and Palestinians in Gaza.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Snowy shots are very bright while keeping highlight details intact, so falling snow and clouds can be discerned against white skies.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
The onboard chef designs menus for discerning palates, while the mixologist presents craft cocktails that reflect your personal taste.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
While the buffer zone can be clearly seen in satellite imagery, its perimeter can be hard to discern on the ground and multiple Palestinians have been shot for entering the area, according to the testimonial of Israeli soldiers to Breaking the Silence and Palestinians in Gaza.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Snowy shots are very bright while keeping highlight details intact, so falling snow and clouds can be discerned against white skies.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
Verb
-
After his College Hill debut, his skin cleared up and people noticed.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Turn Overcoming Fear Into A Daily Game Make it into a game to notice your vulnerabilities and find your courage.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
However, more commercial drug tests cannot differentiate between the cannabinoids, according to WedMD.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Taco Bell differentiated theirs by marinating all-white meat in a zesty jalapeño buttermilk flavor and then coating it in tortilla chips and breadcrumbs.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And of course, there’s the need to understand and report on any unexpected and game-changing social media post from the White House.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Dave [Watson] and his team have worked hard to understand the reasons for this disconnect and have identified two primary causes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Sey, who saw an opening in the market for a brand that speaks out on behalf of females everywhere, noted that no other athletic label is doing what XX-XY Athletics sets out to accomplish.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2025
-
This inspired Kay to see more of the world for herself.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s letter noted that the one-year term of vehicle leases is often the result of state statutes or rules that distinguish a vehicle lease from a rental for sales tax purposes and set the minimum term for a lease at one year.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Loveland’s ability to separate from defenders is what distinguished him.—
Adam Jahns,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Unfortunately, Seong-je knows no loyalty, and agrees to beat up Si-eun for Baek-jin on the morning of the fight.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Martha Stewart previously slammed former friend Ina Garten The lifestyle maven is known to cook up beef with fellow lifestyle brand competitors, including taking aim at former friend Ina Garten in September.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Abby went out to take watch and spotted two people on horseback, later revealed to be Joel and Dina, who had gone out early on patrol together.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Notably, one is the worker who spotted the tendrils in the pipes but didn’t have the opportunity to share that update with anyone.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The generous release of Tahoe 100M is a potential turning point for deciphering cancer vulnerabilities at scale and can trigger an open-source data sharing momentum in cancer research.—
Amelia Palermo,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The Dallas Cowboys are one of those teams deciphering between the talents in the final stack of players, as owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Tuesday that this is the latest that the team has ever gone without having their board in place.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share