1
as in advantages
a quality that gives something special worth
has the distinction of being the oldest house in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accolades
public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement
I did all of the work, and the other guy got all the distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in awards
something given in recognition of achievement
won a number of distinctions in her long career as an actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinctions
Jones also sought to draw distinctions on policy.
—
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Three Nashville restaurants earned One Michelin Star, while seven more earned Bib Gourmand distinctions among other recognition.
—Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025
But a new, more complete skeleton found in the Hell Creek Formation helped to make those distinctions, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
The court clarified that racial distinctions by the government only apply in the rare instances that government is remedying specific instances of its past discriminatory conduct.
—Andrew Quinio, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Might these be distinctions without a difference?
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
The traditional distinctions between linear and streaming are fading away for sports, however.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
There’s little effort to explore the complex identities of Arabic people who live in Israel or to wrestle with the distinctions between them, Palestinians in Gaza, and Hamas terrorists.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
My guess is that those who signed the pledge are unlikely to make fine distinctions.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Three Nashville restaurants earned One Michelin Star, while seven more earned Bib Gourmand distinctions among other recognition.
—Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025
But a new, more complete skeleton found in the Hell Creek Formation helped to make those distinctions, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
The court clarified that racial distinctions by the government only apply in the rare instances that government is remedying specific instances of its past discriminatory conduct.
—Andrew Quinio, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Might these be distinctions without a difference?
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
The traditional distinctions between linear and streaming are fading away for sports, however.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
There’s little effort to explore the complex identities of Arabic people who live in Israel or to wrestle with the distinctions between them, Palestinians in Gaza, and Hamas terrorists.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
My guess is that those who signed the pledge are unlikely to make fine distinctions.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinctions
Noun
-
Newer artists have also seen some advantages with the eligibility period not adhering to a typical calendar year.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Falcon Enamelware espresso cup Falcon’s espresso cups have the dual advantages of being cute and durable.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Come playoff time, such accolades matter not.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
But beyond the wins, losses and accolades, there was the man who remained in his players’ lives, through good times and tough times.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Sabonis missed five of his first six shots while being guarded by Gobert, a 7-foot-1 center with four Defensive Player of the Year awards.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The Cannes-premiering film rates higher with critics than audiences so far but is the biggest ever box office for director Lynne Ramsey and an awards-season magnet for star Jennifer Lawrence’s career-defining performance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Just as personal vices can shape the course of an individual life, so too can national vices influence our collective experience, maybe as much as our virtues—or possibly even more.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Running is a means of developing all these good virtues and habits.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The most famous of these works, Doctor Faustus, is about the glories and perils of eccentric genius.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
As long as the sport was going to allow all the Astros’ October glories to stand, Springer was impossible to leave off this team.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
California adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Winners will claim their prizes during the 16th annual HMMA ceremony on November 19 at The Avalon in Hollywood.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
For Florida, Sykes argued, even a flat market signals stability after years of breakneck appreciation—especially in Palm Beach, where home values have jumped as much as 200% in the past few years.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Your money matters and personal values are in the spotlight of this retrograde, Scorpio.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The 2026 edition of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN (MAJ), one of the country’s premier international music honors, is set for June 13 next year.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
-
These honors are not coincidental.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinctions. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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