1
as in compared
to describe as similar
he generally likened a root canal to some horrible form of torture
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in identified
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of likened
One thing that sets him apart from a contemporary such as Pieter de Hooch, to whom he is instinctively likened, is a murmur that the stillness may not hold.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
One attendee likened the street party to Beatlemania.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Raczynski likened the Supreme Court’s closed hearing to the repressions studied by the group.
—Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The design immediately drew ridicule from some critics who likened the arches to a giant tarantula attacking downtown Miami, or the arches on a McDonald’s outlet.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Lloyd likened his extended stay – a 22-year assistantship that is not the norm in a very upwardly mobile profession – to making a sound investment.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
In an interview with CBS News' Ed O'Keefe on Friday, Moore, a Democrat, likened the ongoing war with Iran to the war in Afghanistan, where the governor served as a member of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Wright equates climate-change activists to alarmists and has likened efforts by Democrats to combat global warming to Soviet-style communism.
—Anca Gurzu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
One source likened it to Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the beverages industry or McDonald’s and Burger King in the burger wars.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2026
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
One attendee likened the street party to Beatlemania.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Raczynski likened the Supreme Court’s closed hearing to the repressions studied by the group.
—Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The design immediately drew ridicule from some critics who likened the arches to a giant tarantula attacking downtown Miami, or the arches on a McDonald’s outlet.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Lloyd likened his extended stay – a 22-year assistantship that is not the norm in a very upwardly mobile profession – to making a sound investment.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
In an interview with CBS News' Ed O'Keefe on Friday, Moore, a Democrat, likened the ongoing war with Iran to the war in Afghanistan, where the governor served as a member of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Wright equates climate-change activists to alarmists and has likened efforts by Democrats to combat global warming to Soviet-style communism.
—Anca Gurzu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
One source likened it to Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the beverages industry or McDonald’s and Burger King in the burger wars.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likened
Verb
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Forty-four percent of Gen Z workers admit to actively sabotaging their company’s AI rollout—compared with 29% of workers overall, Fortune reported earlier this month.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
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State funding for the project was cut in half for 2026 compared with the previous year.—
Niken Sitoningrum,
NPR,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Completed around 1570 in northern Italy, the Villa Rotonda features symmetrical facades and harmonious proportions that have been equated with Renaissance humanism and rationalism.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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One talent manager equated it to dishing out free samples at an ice cream store, with the hopes of convincing TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts users to try creators’ longer videos.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Likened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likened. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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