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
This article does not go into detail on the distinctions.
—
Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In death, those distinctions have vanished.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet parsing the distinctions between Bluesky and X has a burgeoning air of futility.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The laws of neutrality don’t distinguish between aggressor and victim, because those distinctions are not always clear-cut.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
Gongs include a Grand Prize, a special jury prize as well as distinctions for design, know-how and gemstones.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
Hieronymus Bock, in his Kreüter Buch, puts both heating and cooling effects in context by building finer distinctions between types of pomegranates.
—Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
If the theory is wrong, astronomers might observe something new — subtle distinctions that reveal the unique history and makeup of each black hole.
—Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 27 Aug. 2025
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In death, those distinctions have vanished.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet parsing the distinctions between Bluesky and X has a burgeoning air of futility.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The laws of neutrality don’t distinguish between aggressor and victim, because those distinctions are not always clear-cut.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
Gongs include a Grand Prize, a special jury prize as well as distinctions for design, know-how and gemstones.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
Hieronymus Bock, in his Kreüter Buch, puts both heating and cooling effects in context by building finer distinctions between types of pomegranates.
—Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
If the theory is wrong, astronomers might observe something new — subtle distinctions that reveal the unique history and makeup of each black hole.
—Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 27 Aug. 2025
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinctions
Noun
-
In addition to testing the munition's capabilities, the mission also validated the aircraft's enduring advantages, including its stealth, range, and payload flexibility, while reinforcing its evolving role in maritime strike.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
That said, robotic guide dogs offer other advantages.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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During its run, This Is Us was nominated 39 times at the Emmy Awards, winning four accolades overall.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The accolades keep coming for Lilo, the immersive 22-seat fine-dining restaurant that opened in April in Carlsbad.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Creative Arts Emmys, held on September 6 and 7, had already handed out several exciting awards, including for Bryan Cranston’s guest turn on The Studio and Julianne Nicholson’s chaotic arc on Hacks.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The milestone comes four decades after Roxana Zal, 14, became the youngest female winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Special in 1984 for Something About Amelia, according to the website for the awards.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That’s a shame because one of the biggest virtues of Zoox’s symmetrical 4-wheel-steering design is superior ability to do general PuDo.—
Brad Templeton,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
To be part of a society that made Lizzo one of the biggest recording stars of the early 2020s was a small indicator that progressive values and virtues had survived the (first) Trump presidency.—
Allison P. Davis,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since taking the reins as the CEO of its racing division in late 2016, Brown has overseen McLaren’s evolution from a team stuck in the shadow of past glories to one that now sits atop the F1 world once more.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
-
The poet’s reminiscences form the core of several poems that rank among the glories of twentieth-century American literature.—
Dan Chiasson,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
As Amber Sparks pointed out in 2023, prizes are a way for authors, the majority of whom don’t earn a living from writing books, to make a little money.—
Maris Kreizman,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Roughly 385,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $40,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacbee.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Encouraging young adults to explore interests, values and long-term aspirations facilitates intrinsic motivation.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Both require a balance of commitment and flexibility, patience and action, values and adaptability.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mara Brock Akil is set to receive one of the industry’s highest honors at this year’s Hollywood Confidential, where the trailblazing writer and producer will be celebrated with the ICON Award.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinctions. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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