1
as in emblem
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark
that ensign of tutorial authority, the hickory stick
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2
as in flag
a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as an emblem or for signaling
fittingly, the organization promoting the welfare of marine life features a dolphin on its ensign
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ensign
Worse still, scans show portions of Gamble’s brain have died, which sends the ensign into a panic.
—
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025
My dad was an ensign on the USS Pensacola for three years, three months and three days in the South Pacific.
—Jim Martin, Denver Post, 26 May 2025
Othello star Jake Gyllenhaal’s backstage home-away-from-home in Broadway’s Barrymore theater is an extension of the Shakespearean world he’s been steeped in while developing his version of Iago, the duplicitous ensign to the titular Venetian army general played by Denzel Washington.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2025
Usually the obscure one is Othello’s ensign, Iago.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ensign
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025
My dad was an ensign on the USS Pensacola for three years, three months and three days in the South Pacific.
—Jim Martin, Denver Post, 26 May 2025
Othello star Jake Gyllenhaal’s backstage home-away-from-home in Broadway’s Barrymore theater is an extension of the Shakespearean world he’s been steeped in while developing his version of Iago, the duplicitous ensign to the titular Venetian army general played by Denzel Washington.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2025
Usually the obscure one is Othello’s ensign, Iago.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ensign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensign
Noun
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The group hosted a DJ to play Persian songs, and attendees waved tri-color Iranian flags bearing the Lion and Sun emblem, the country’s flag before the 1979 revolution.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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For the past decade, the months of January in this town have been littered with Chiefs signs, emblems, banners and packed storefronts, from downtown to the Plaza, and from one side of State Line Road to the other.—
Sam McDowell
February 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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McRae, 22, posted a childhood photo of herself holding a Canadian flag.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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For ships and naval stations ashore, the flags are flown at half-mast.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Last year was represented by the snake, a symbol of wisdom, intuition and transformation.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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But such a visit would antagonize China and South Korea, where the shrine is viewed as a symbol of Japanese imperial aggression and historical denialism.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Financing and production banner Jovera Pictures has hired former eOne Vice President of Film Rainer Grupe to its team.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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So what has gone wrong at a program that has not finished with a losing record since 2010, and that has hung a Big Ten title banner in four of the previous five seasons?—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The images released by the FBI show the logo for Nest, a smart doorbell brand owned by Google.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
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The commercial started with the team’s helmet, which prominently displays the Cadillac logo and team name above the visor.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ensign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensign. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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