as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a novice birder still learning the distinguishing features of various finches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiating
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizing
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identifying
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 noticing
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 classifying
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 distinguishing
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
As EltaMD’s hero product, the UV Clear sunscreen has a seal of approval from Brooke Shields and the Kardashians, distinguishing itself from the crowd based on a few key attributes.
—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
23 June 2026
Effective leadership requires distinguishing between useful historical insight and misleading comparison.
—
Michael Edmondson,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Those cases involved searches for private residences, however, distinguishing them from searches related to political party headquarters, Crocker said.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
The original combat variant, which the company is already producing, will now carry the designation CA-1KA (Kinetic Attack), distinguishing it from the new electronic warfare model.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 June 2026
For the fourth phase, focused on distinguishing the home’s front and back entrances and installing an appealing garden visible from the front windows, Sterman challenged herself to do something different.
—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has focused on distinguishing between disappearances committed by organized crime and those forced by state agents.
—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
This isn’t to say any of these teams would have challenged eventual champion LSU; the point is that distinguishing between teams 10 and 20 for inclusion in a 16-team CFP is virtually impossible.
—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
One of the most distinguishing features of the new planes are the colors painted on its exterior.
—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
As EltaMD’s hero product, the UV Clear sunscreen has a seal of approval from Brooke Shields and the Kardashians, distinguishing itself from the crowd based on a few key attributes.
—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
23 June 2026
Effective leadership requires distinguishing between useful historical insight and misleading comparison.
—
Michael Edmondson,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Those cases involved searches for private residences, however, distinguishing them from searches related to political party headquarters, Crocker said.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
The original combat variant, which the company is already producing, will now carry the designation CA-1KA (Kinetic Attack), distinguishing it from the new electronic warfare model.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 June 2026
For the fourth phase, focused on distinguishing the home’s front and back entrances and installing an appealing garden visible from the front windows, Sterman challenged herself to do something different.
—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has focused on distinguishing between disappearances committed by organized crime and those forced by state agents.
—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
This isn’t to say any of these teams would have challenged eventual champion LSU; the point is that distinguishing between teams 10 and 20 for inclusion in a 16-team CFP is virtually impossible.
—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishing
Adjective
-
Mehra’s strategy is characteristic of a career built on creating categories, not just competing in them.
-
Adams offered two incidental new piano pieces and one for string quartet containing his characteristic rhythmic excitement and melodic eloquence.
Verb
-
In that environment, structure itself becomes a differentiating factor.
-
There will be no differentiating paragraphs for the Spurs fans.
Verb
-
White added some thoughts about focusing in on people, characterizing what often happens in collaborations.
-
Supporters of the high-earner tax for public education have been quick to stress it’s been in place for more than a decade, characterizing any rollback of it as a tax cut for the wealthy.
Verb
-
Some collars contained license numbers, names, and other identifying information.
-
The summit will focus on educating the community about regenerative agriculture and other sustainable practices and identifying barriers of entry and solutions to those barriers for farmers.
Verb
-
By midsummer, many homeowners begin noticing plants popping up where their lawns have thinned.
-
The Property Brothers star, 48, got candid about previously letting his work bleed too much into his home life, to the point where his 4-year-old son, Parker, started noticing.
Verb
-
About a week before Illinois passed its law classifying prediction markets as sports betting operators, the CFTC proposed new rulemaking that lays out how the commission would manage its exclusive control over regulating these markets.
-
The British meteorological service has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat in the days forward, classifying the coming wave as a risk to life.
Adjective
-
The Lebanese Australian producer created his distinctive style by blending sounds from the Arab world with hard-hitting bass music.
-
Banfield-Norris, who is Jaden’s grandmother, served a softer contrast to her grandkids’ shoes, opting for the elegant Christian Louboutin Senora leopard-print sandals, which feature a distinctive red sole and a T-strap design.
Verb
-
On Wednesday, officers arrested the suspect after spotting him in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, according to the police statement.
-
The lower the number, the brighter the object, with the human eye capable of spotting targets down to a magnitude of +6 from a dark sky location.
Cite this Entry
“Distinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishing. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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