1
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to identify
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguish
Skye herself has almost no distinguishing characteristics besides her fragile state and propensity for terrible decisions, especially as the investigation around her boyfriend’s death kicks into gear.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
All of this with the romantic signature that distinguishes him.
—Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
The pearls, distinguished by their Baroque silhouettes and radiant golden hue, exude an organic allure.
—Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Still, the Ottoman-style architecture and the pale pink of a nearby Orthodox church distinguish ski towns and resorts like Brezovica and Jahorina.
—Naomi Tomky, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
All of this with the romantic signature that distinguishes him.
—Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
The pearls, distinguished by their Baroque silhouettes and radiant golden hue, exude an organic allure.
—Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Still, the Ottoman-style architecture and the pale pink of a nearby Orthodox church distinguish ski towns and resorts like Brezovica and Jahorina.
—Naomi Tomky, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
-
The shoe differentiates itself with a half d’Orsay design that reveals the side of the foot and a curvaceous outline that adds subtle undulation to the silhouette; a stitched band is also featured across the toe.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Other than a window exposing the rear suspension, Ford did barely anything to differentiate the cockpit.—
Tim Stevens,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Protest organizers have trained thousands in de-escalation techniques and have promised the day will be safe, even as political rhetoric characterizes demonstrators as being aligned with terrorist forces.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The White House regularly characterizes undocumented immigrants as drivers of urban lawlessness, even though the data show that is not true.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Using Hubble's data, astronomers have identified more than 80 possible star clusters inside this ring, many less than 100 million years old, though the spiral galaxy itself has likely persisted for over a billion years.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The post did not identify the boy or the friend who was with him.—
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mariah had noticed the young soldier standing alone while everyone else celebrated with loved ones.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Now is not the time for pastors to wilt or keep our heads down, hoping against hope that we won’t be noticed.—
Rev. Nathan Empsall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What Happens Next Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball classify the New Hampshire Senate race as Leans Democrat.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
MacKinnon had a game-high eight shots on goal, including at least two that can only be classified as great saves by Vejmelka.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
-
This is accomplished with a more casual ankle-length height, a softly rounded toe and a far more discerning metal buckle detail.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Police found a firearm in the vehicle, the release says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Oct. 2025
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The child was found by her mother three hours later, with internal vehicle temperatures having reached over 108 degrees.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The suppression of Black voters well into the twentieth century was only ended (for the most part) with the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA), after a long and dangerous fight that saw multiple incidents of deadly violence against those advocating for equal access to the ballot.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Oct. 2025
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But the biggest surprise was seeing how ineffective Liverpool’s forwards were.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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