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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguish
The measure enables police to act swiftly, distinguishing squatters from legal tenants.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
This allows the radar to efficiently distinguish the tight circulation of a tornado.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 30 May 2025
Also, by ensuring that college players can’t pursue long-term or indefinite careers in college football, the rules allegedly distinguish college sports as distinct from minor league sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 May 2025
In his book The Spirit Molecule, about the first modern study that administered DMT to humans, the psychiatrist Rick Strassman uses a TV metaphor to distinguish the drug’s effects from those of other psychoactive substances.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
This allows the radar to efficiently distinguish the tight circulation of a tornado.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 30 May 2025
Also, by ensuring that college players can’t pursue long-term or indefinite careers in college football, the rules allegedly distinguish college sports as distinct from minor league sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 May 2025
In his book The Spirit Molecule, about the first modern study that administered DMT to humans, the psychiatrist Rick Strassman uses a TV metaphor to distinguish the drug’s effects from those of other psychoactive substances.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
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Other innovations include behavioral biometrics, which measure unique user behavior, such as typing patterns and mouse movements, and liveness detection tools that differentiate between real people and deepfakes.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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The Democrats on stage, though largely agreeing about policy, sought to differentiate themselves.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Following deep sleep, REM sleep is the next critical phase of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming that’s also extra vivid and lifelike, and by faster heart rate and breathing.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
-
Kirn characterized the foreword as a kind of ideological overreach.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced the driver, who was not identified, dead at the scene.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
-
The Grand County Coroner’s Office at the time identified the deceased person as Brent Boulter, a 56-year-old man from Aurora, and the missing man was identified as Thomas Russell, a 61-year-old from Littleton.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
La Rue claims Leto was observing her so intensely that her mother noticed.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
-
Nineteenth-century Americans did not simply notice hair’s unusual properties.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
Verb
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One half of respondents say price increases have caused financial hardships for them or their household, with 16% classifying it as serious hardship.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2025
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Geomagnetic storms are classified using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Some Americans worried that all these changes—and all these strangers—undermined their ability to discern people’s authentic identities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
-
So far as botanists have been able to discern, Sadowski notes, carnivorous plants of one form or another have evolved at least ten times.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Fears that a serial killer is at large were reignited by the recent discovery of a body in a Texas lake, where 19 corpses have been found over the past three years.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
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If finding indoor shelter is not an option: Stay away from open fields, hill summits, or ridge tops.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
Verb
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By June 2023, the pair were spotted enjoying several outings in New York City, and the following month, they were seen holding hands outside of Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, Calif., and kissing at Crossroads, a restaurant in West Hollywood.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
14 June 2025
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And while each panel covered a different domain, a clear through line emerged: women deserve personalized, proactive care that sees and serves them fully—brain, body and beyond.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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