as in award
recognition given to someone who has done something extremely well but who has not won the top honor
They didn't win the science fair competition but were pleased to receive an honorable mention.
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Recent Examples of honorable mention
The 2016 honorable mention all-America defense his freshman year, and the 2017 second team all-America defense as a sophomore.
—
Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Anybody qualifying for honorable mention won't come close either.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
And an honorable mention to the wettest game played, 2007 at Miami, where about 1 inch of rain fell, and winds gusted 20 mph.
—Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
In the art category, La Jolla Country Day 11th-grader Hope Wang focused her project, which received an honorable mention, on the ways in which words cannot express certain feelings.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honorable mention
Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Anybody qualifying for honorable mention won't come close either.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
And an honorable mention to the wettest game played, 2007 at Miami, where about 1 inch of rain fell, and winds gusted 20 mph.
—Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
In the art category, La Jolla Country Day 11th-grader Hope Wang focused her project, which received an honorable mention, on the ways in which words cannot express certain feelings.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honorable mention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honorable mention
Noun
-
On Sunday, sections of Hollywood will close for the awards show.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Additionally, Chris Evans, Javier Bardem, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore and Kumail Nanjiani will also present trophies at the awards show.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At its core, securing a listing is not about impressing an owner with accolades or confidence alone.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
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Those accolades reflect a storied season, but don’t hold weight next to the Bruins’ ultimate goals.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Romantic is the type of album Mars could make in his sleep, which is both a compliment and a criticism.—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2026
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At a glance, the Polar Loop looks just like a Whoop tracker, which isn’t exactly a compliment.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honorable mention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honorable%20mention. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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