1
as in to compare
to describe as similar he generally likened a root canal to some horrible form of torture

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2
as in to equate
to regard or represent as equal or comparable I think that we can liken the two pianists, at least in terms of natural talent

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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 liken Alluding to Linklater’s sports background, Hawke likened his approach to that of a coach, trying to test his player’s speed and strength. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025 Comey likened it to a mafia induction. Ed White, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025 Yet likening aid to an insurance policy or a market venture misses the greatest strategic value of supporting others. Don Graves, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2025 High-rise residents in the neighborhood complained too, likening the ads beaming from the billboard to something from Las Vegas or Hong Kong. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liken
Verb
  • What’s lacking is a rush of blood to compare with that walk up the old Olympic Way.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • And in Africa, solar panel imports are up 60% in the year to June compared with the same period last year.
    Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Here, grizzlies don’t equate people with food—as opposed to populated areas where alluring smells forge a connection—and have learned to tolerate humans, thanks to decades of naturalists adopting nonthreatening practices.
    Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Such a framing emphasizes the use of violence as the principal means of solving problems and equates hostility and aggression with leadership.
    Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Liken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liken. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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