distinguishes

present tense third-person singular of distinguish
1
as in differentiates
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in characterizes
to be an important feature of a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 distinguishes What distinguishes Elix in the crowded wellness landscape is its insistence on both heritage and evidence. Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 This absence distinguishes Silescelida acristata from nearly all of its close relatives. The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 What distinguishes looksmaxxing from ordinary self-improvement is the worldview behind it. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 The higher proportion of cornmeal is what distinguishes livermush from liver pudding. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026 Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, rejected the suggestion that Riyadh is unwilling to confront Iran, saying the Kingdom distinguishes between credible deterrence and military action without clear objectives. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Although antineutrinos rarely interact with matter, physicists can identify them through a characteristic double-light signal that distinguishes them from background radiation. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026 According to Raman, housing policy is the key issue that distinguishes her today from the Democratic Socialists of America. Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026 But what distinguishes this particular iteration is the city of Portland, Maine, itself, and where this Hyatt is situated. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishes
Verb
  • Identifying The Software That Differentiates Your Vehicles Start by separating the software that differentiates your vehicles from the software that simply has to work.
    Dimitar Dimitrov, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The Crusher headphone line differentiates itself from the competition through the use of both full-range and dedicated bass drivers in each ear cup to boost deeper frequencies.
    Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • Lou Reed modeled the sort of petulant sing-talking that characterizes her verses.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Strada’s website characterizes the candidate as a successful businessman.
    Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • The report identifies 10 jobs that offer six-figure compensation without the intense pressure linked to executive leadership, investment banking or sales.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Citation analysis identifies the domains and exact URLs influencing those answers, helping teams see whether their own pages, publishers or other third-party sources shape the response.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • An environmental services employee notices a hazardous process but doesn't know who has the authority to fix it.
    Paula Ferrada, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Now three seasons in, De Oliveira notices just how much of Cruz she’s taken in.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Single-Member LLCs When an LLC has one member, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifies the business as a disregarded entity.
    AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The research classifies only a portion of the domains as campaign-style addresses.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Questions remain about exactly how transits through the strait will be managed and whether Washington and its allies will agree to any new arrangement that sees Hormuz jointly controlled by Iran and Oman.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Mekai, when Kanan goes to Raq’s house and sees her body on the floor, what was that like for you?
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Yet by selectivity, Ozarks ranks as the tenth most selective baccalaureate college in the country — outpacing schools with far larger endowments and far louder name recognition.
    Scott White, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Postpartum psychosis Postpartum psychosis ranks as one of the rarest and most severe mental health disorders associated with childbirth.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And since Jace’s death, she’s treated Baela as nothing more than a defective surveillance drone — a worthless piece of tech that never spots Vhagar.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Korean lunar orbiter spots Falcon 9 crash site The collision was expected to create a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep and throw a plume of dust and rock outward into the air.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Distinguishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishes. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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