as in distinguishing
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
the marching band's striking black-and-silver uniforms serve as its identifying mark for thousands of parade spectators
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pinpointing
to find out or establish the identity of
sufficient forensic evidence to allow investigators to identify the perpetrator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in associating
to think of (something) in combination
for some reason, he always identified the color red with flowers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of identifying
Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Another intriguing possibility is to wait until the wireless world’s progress to ever-shorter wavelengths finally hits the millimeter band, which is small enough to resolve most identifying details.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2020
Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 10 May 2026
This week’s hack into information from almost 9,000 schools included personally identifying data.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 9 May 2026
Every now and then, the hunter’s headphones would ping, registering a metallic hit below ground; though the vast majority of those signals were inconsequential, identifying only bits of scrap iron or old lead bullets.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 May 2026
Many are taking a more aggressive approach than Florida in identifying and banning suspect nurses, but the process can be difficult.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Meanwhile, the Polar Reports paper focused on identifying an unburied skeleton found in 1859 on the south shore of King William Island.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Fall treatments include exclusion work, such as identifying new entry points that may have been created over the summer.
—Kody Boye, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Inside was her driver’s license and a handwritten note from a man identifying himself as David Manning.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Compared to radiologists who reviewed the scans, AI was three times better at identifying the early signs of cancer.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 3 May 2026
Adjective
There are also passports from Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Russia, with most identifying information blacked out.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Another intriguing possibility is to wait until the wireless world’s progress to ever-shorter wavelengths finally hits the millimeter band, which is small enough to resolve most identifying details.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2020
Verb
Given the sheer number of stocks offering dividends, identifying the right ones is not always straightforward.
—Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 10 May 2026
This week’s hack into information from almost 9,000 schools included personally identifying data.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 9 May 2026
Every now and then, the hunter’s headphones would ping, registering a metallic hit below ground; though the vast majority of those signals were inconsequential, identifying only bits of scrap iron or old lead bullets.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 May 2026
Many are taking a more aggressive approach than Florida in identifying and banning suspect nurses, but the process can be difficult.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Meanwhile, the Polar Reports paper focused on identifying an unburied skeleton found in 1859 on the south shore of King William Island.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Fall treatments include exclusion work, such as identifying new entry points that may have been created over the summer.
—Kody Boye, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Inside was her driver’s license and a handwritten note from a man identifying himself as David Manning.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Compared to radiologists who reviewed the scans, AI was three times better at identifying the early signs of cancer.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identifying
Verb
-
The challenge is distinguishing imbalances rooted in fundamentals from those created by policy distortions.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Barrière’s distinguishing factor is its marketing, according to Davis-Urman, who has a background in fashion.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Harvard University’s president and four other administrators formed what became known as the Secret Court to investigate students suspected of being gay or associating with gay students.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
Does that ever give you pause about associating yourself so fully with one brand?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
As plants use rainwater to grow, their leaves pick up the rain’s characteristic ratio of hydrogen isotopes—atoms with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
-
Some of these shortcomings are characteristic of early-release hardware, where first adopters often have to navigate rough edges as features mature.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Because hundreds of certifications are available, Johnson says, pinpointing the most relevant ones can be challenging.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 May 2026
-
The fact that pinpointing specific conditions isn’t always straightforward.—
Flow Space Staff,
Flow Space,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Clearly, something correlating with a generational change is shaping this disease.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
-
By correlating this economic power with global viewership trends, NNAF will validate the thesis that African content is not just culturally significant, but a commercially viable sector ready for institutional scale.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Since 1992, Ronnie has been the captain of this distinctive part of New Orleans’ culinary history.—
George Motz,
Southern Living,
6 May 2026
-
The beachside Beauvallon Sur Mer, together with its lounge and rooftop, was created by interior architect Dorothée Delaye—the creative known for infusing hotels with a distinctive French flair.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
This is about finding a better balance.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
The amount of debris caused the delay in finding the second body.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Mount Carmel’s Christian Clark has a keen sense of what every pitcher is thinking, especially since the senior catcher spends every game connecting and interacting with his own staff.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
And now two different studies published in the journal Nature — one connecting the long-term health of adults with their thymic health and the other analyzing cancer therapy outcomes and thymic health — point to the thymus playing an important role in wellness.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Identifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identifying. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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