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manifest

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verb

manifest

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective manifest contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of manifest are apparent, clear, distinct, evident, obvious, patent, and plain. While all these words mean "readily perceived or apprehended," manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required.

manifest hostility

How do apparent and evident relate to one another, in the sense of manifest?

Apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference.

for no apparent reason

When could clear be used to replace manifest?

The words clear and manifest can be used in similar contexts, but clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern.

a clear explanation

In what contexts can distinct take the place of manifest?

The meanings of distinct and manifest largely overlap; however, distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required.

a distinct refusal

When might evident be a better fit than manifest?

While in some cases nearly identical to manifest, evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion.

an evident fondness for sweets

Where would obvious be a reasonable alternative to manifest?

While the synonyms obvious and manifest are close in meaning, obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer.

the obvious solution

When can patent be used instead of manifest?

The words patent and manifest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it.

patent defects

When is plain a more appropriate choice than manifest?

Although the words plain and manifest have much in common, plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration.

her feelings about him are plain

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 manifest
Adjective
Rupert Friend has been tapped to lead the feature, which will also have Kevin Durand and Jaeden Martell on the manifest. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025 In modern societies, where people live decades longer, these trade-offs manifest as chronic diseases and physical decline. William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Environmental impact The same concept – that urban policymakers know better than rural Americans – is manifest in the modern environmental movement. Kayla Gabehart, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2025 The most worrisome elements at the moment are Trump’s own swampy impulses that not infrequently manifest, such as tariffs (the most prominent), antitrust regulation, a sovereign wealth fund, campus speech codes, regulation of concert ticket prices, drug price interventions and the like. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Chronic hives can manifest in one of two ways. Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025 Culkin first publicly manifested a third child in his January 2024 Emmys speech after winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Succession. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manifest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manifest
Adjective
  • The impact of this team is evident not only in their buildings but in their relationships.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • While some laws have changed, the wealth is evident even on a brief visit.
    Vivienne Walt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Well, that’s what the aforementioned six-week process is intended to reveal.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
  • These two games will be revealing.
    Chad Graff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Even in antiquity, some thinkers embodied this courage.
    Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The bigger test, Powell says, was embodying the character.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Spain’s largest company by market capitalization, Inditex, helped buoy that index, after better-than-expected earnings helped its stock to claw back some of its losses for the year.
    Jordan Butt, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Both indexes are measures against a 100-point benchmark recorded in 1985.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The viewership benefits that the NFL’s front-loading has already provided can’t be overstated.
    Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • At one point, officials considered the concept of loading in gear by lifting it up and over the stadium rim.
    Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Foreclosure would become nonviable as a means of tax collection — with no readily apparent alternative means for timely collection of the delinquent revenue.
    Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Remember, magnitude is the scale used by astronomers to chart the apparent brightness of an object in the night sky.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Pedestrians walk past a Nike store featuring a modern design and mannequins displaying winter apparel on December 5, 2024, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
    Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The mysterious laser weapon was displayed at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing in September, and since then, speculations have been rife over its capabilities.
    Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
    Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Dimitrijevic expressed concerns about the timing of the substitute ordinance, which would require council members to vote on it prior to voting on the budget for 2026.
    Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manifest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manifest. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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