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
Four years later, he was commissioned as an ensign and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
—
Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ensign
Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ensign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensign
Noun
-
It was tempered only by a parallel movement to celebrate Garrincha’s life and to restate, one last time and for future generations, the reasons for his status as a national emblem.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Kara Jakubik, a 17-year-old Life Scout with Scouting America and an Ambassador with Girl Scouts, spent the morning with other volunteers walking through rows of headstones searching for symbols, such as military branch emblems.—
Abigail Dollins,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2026
Noun
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The red leather booths and wooden bar date back to the early 20th century and the walls are covered in flags from American universities.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
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Still, this could be mitigated by offering flag in a different season – for example, the spring – than tackle, which is played in the fall.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The palace is a fantasia, with a courtyard that does not lead to any rooms and three towers topped by onion domes—the tallest of which was dedicated to Stockalper’s namesake, Kaspar, of the Three Magi, and adorned by symbols of the sun.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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The drinks cabinet became a symbol of arrival, achievement and adulthood.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Another document details exactly how to create a Patriot Front banner – down to how to tie the knots affixing the canvas.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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As the ferry slowly pulled into the Ishigaki port on May 29, a group of people waved the Taiwan flag and brandished a banner to welcome the first batch of visitors.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The beloved 35-year-old Florida Ficus at the entrance is the impetus for the iconic logo.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Spanish graphic designer, illustrator and sculptor, Peret, sketched the brand’s first logo, while architect Tonet Sunyer designed the first Desigual store in Ibiza’s port in 1986, a moment the brand is now celebrating 40 years later.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ensign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensign. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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