1
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like
the village's Congregational church could serve as an exemplar of the white clapboard church with a steeple that is a fixture in old New England towns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in models
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
few of history's heroes were quite the exemplars that generations of schoolteachers made them out to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in classics
the most perfect type or example
the paintings of the French painter Claude Monet are often regarded as exemplars of Impressionism
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 exemplars
The Dutch — forebears of our city and exemplars of cycling culture — require fast e-bikes to be licensed and insured as mopeds.
—
Sameer Butt, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
These warblers now join Amazonian butterflies, cichlid fish in Africa, as well as our own hominid lineage, as exemplars of this process of evolutionary sharing.
—David Toews, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025
One of the exemplars of the Rams’ depth at the position has been reserve right tackle Warren McClendon Jr.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
And yet, despite all of this, the Gateses have become exemplars for a kind of quaint-seeming, Andrew Carnegie–esque model of wealth, intent on returning their extraordinary resources to society.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
Intricate—and literally time-consuming—works of moving art of this caliber are seldom seen outside elite museums, where 18th-century exemplars often sit within glass vitrines.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
As far as exemplars go, those inclined to offer wardrobe support could find a better follow and a better way.
—Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Young athletes at the Pop Warner, high school and college levels often look to NFL players as exemplars of competitive conduct.
—Ron Mix, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
To address this issue, leaders can clearly communicate expectations regarding responsiveness and serve as exemplars of healthy work habits.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Sameer Butt, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
These warblers now join Amazonian butterflies, cichlid fish in Africa, as well as our own hominid lineage, as exemplars of this process of evolutionary sharing.
—David Toews, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025
One of the exemplars of the Rams’ depth at the position has been reserve right tackle Warren McClendon Jr.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
And yet, despite all of this, the Gateses have become exemplars for a kind of quaint-seeming, Andrew Carnegie–esque model of wealth, intent on returning their extraordinary resources to society.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
Intricate—and literally time-consuming—works of moving art of this caliber are seldom seen outside elite museums, where 18th-century exemplars often sit within glass vitrines.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
As far as exemplars go, those inclined to offer wardrobe support could find a better follow and a better way.
—Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Young athletes at the Pop Warner, high school and college levels often look to NFL players as exemplars of competitive conduct.
—Ron Mix, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
To address this issue, leaders can clearly communicate expectations regarding responsiveness and serve as exemplars of healthy work habits.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exemplars
Noun
-
Yale, Columbia, Brown, the University of Southern California, Boston University, and the Univesity of Pennsylvania are examples of schools that also scaled back, rescinded, paused or stopped new admissions.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
There are plenty of examples like this in nature even within the plain old Standard Model.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Such models have potential to deepen our understanding of the inner workings of atomic nuclei.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Trump showcased three different arch models of varying sizes at a White House event in October.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The concert portion of the evening kicked off with a mini DJ set from Jermaine Dupri of Carey classics (and several unexpected B-sides), before the cascade of performances came in.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The streamer has a deep bench of horror films from all eras of cinema among its offerings, from influential classics like Nosferatu (1922) to newer hair-raisers like Possessor (2020), and all kinds of thrillers and chillers in between.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Google says Nano Banana can help redesign a living room, turn charts into infographics, or generate visual ideas for creative projects.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Effective Surveying—knowing where to look for successful ideas—requires balancing convention with novelty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His ideals were ever at home at Monticello.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
How do your current goals reflect your past ideals?—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For instance, there is no reason to fear that Canadian, German, or Japanese nuclear weapons would end up in the hands of rogue states or terrorist organizations; all three are paragons of responsibility, state capacity, and domestic stability.—
Moritz S. Graefrath,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Nov. 2025
-
What are these paragons of stereotypical gendered behavior to do but exorcise a demon, and embrace an opportunity for personal growth in the process?—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The collection is built around a fascination of the forest, its mystery, beauty, and the sublime forces of nature, its perfections and imperfections.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These sorcerers combat monstrous manifestations of negative human emotion, known as Curses, using a parallel energy source called Cursed Energy.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
But this common medication is increasingly being used as a means to temper the physical manifestations of anxiety, like a racing heartbeat or rapid breath.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exemplars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exemplars. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
