as in comparison
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1
as in comparing
to describe as similar
he generally likened a root canal to some horrible form of torture
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2
as in equating
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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Recent Examples of likening
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 11 June 2026
Bravo, on the other hand, is faring better, with one buyer likening it to late-night from a few years ago, when advertisers were willing to pay higher rates to reach the younger audiences that reliably tuned in.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2026
Protecting Cornell’s legacy was also on Thayil’s mind when working on the memoir, and wanting to do so with the utmost care, often likening himself to the guardian big brother of the band.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026
When speaking about the departures of McDuffie, Watson, Bryan Cook and Leo Chenal, Spagnuolo grew somewhat emotional, likening them to his own sons.
—Pete Sweeney
june 4, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
The gathering is sometimes called Russia’s Davos, likening it to the World Economic Forum held in Switzerland.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
It is sometimes called Russia’s Davos, likening it to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
Following the video's release, over 75,000 people signed a White House petition calling for an investigation, likening the language used in the video to Nazi Germany's attacks on Jews.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
After reading your recent diatribe likening Bo Nix’s ankle, Cale Makar’s shoulder and Nathan MacKinnon’s knee to a Billy Goat-esque jinx, my fingers almost fell off from playing the world’s smallest violin for hours on end.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Verb
As Business Insider reports, the state’s health body is accusing Tiger of selling alloClae in the state without a license, likening these actions to some sort of grand conspiracy.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 11 June 2026
Bravo, on the other hand, is faring better, with one buyer likening it to late-night from a few years ago, when advertisers were willing to pay higher rates to reach the younger audiences that reliably tuned in.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2026
Protecting Cornell’s legacy was also on Thayil’s mind when working on the memoir, and wanting to do so with the utmost care, often likening himself to the guardian big brother of the band.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026
When speaking about the departures of McDuffie, Watson, Bryan Cook and Leo Chenal, Spagnuolo grew somewhat emotional, likening them to his own sons.
—Pete Sweeney
june 4, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
The gathering is sometimes called Russia’s Davos, likening it to the World Economic Forum held in Switzerland.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
It is sometimes called Russia’s Davos, likening it to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
Following the video's release, over 75,000 people signed a White House petition calling for an investigation, likening the language used in the video to Nazi Germany's attacks on Jews.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
After reading your recent diatribe likening Bo Nix’s ankle, Cale Makar’s shoulder and Nathan MacKinnon’s knee to a Billy Goat-esque jinx, my fingers almost fell off from playing the world’s smallest violin for hours on end.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likening
Noun
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Sybil, who spent her younger years beleaguered by the presence of her double, that emblem of feminine conformity named Désirée, never manages to perceive herself as anything but abnormal by comparison.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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That’s a more concrete vision than Xi laid out the last time the two leaders sat down at the ornate Kumsusan Guesthouse in Pyongyang in 2019, according to a comparison of Beijing’s official statements from both meetings.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
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In the days that followed, investigators with the Houston Police Department determined the boarding pass was fraudulent by comparing it with authentic ones and consulting United Airlines employees.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
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As with many precious metals dealers, some negative reviews mention concerns about pricing transparency and the difficulty of comparing markups across products.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Related Stories Jon Stewart then extended the analogy.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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The analogy appears to reference the leverage the 49ers hold over Aiyuk.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Israel and the United States condemned the move, accusing the court of equating Israeli leaders with Hamas terrorists.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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Contemporary theories of consciousness generally attempt to bridge this gap by equating consciousness with some measurable, physical property of the brain.—
Conor Feehly,
Big Think,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Give us an equation for your show.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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Or does the debt remain the sole responsibility of just one partner in this equation?—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Likening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likening. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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