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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
Andrew was listed on a manifest for a May 12, 2000, flight from New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport to West Palm Beach, Fla. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 26 Sep. 2025 His unresolved issues from childhood manifest in the need to keep the dream of a nuclear family alive at all costs. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
The glowing phenomenon appears as rays, spirals and flickers that most commonly manifest in hues of red and green. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025 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
Noun
In the case of pro athletes, the skills being developed often manifest around the nature of media today. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025 Over ten hour-long episodes, Zero Day Attack offers a forensic exploration of how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could manifest, from the political and religious intrigue to media infiltration and economic manipulation. Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manifest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manifest
Adjective
  • River Revival But the transformational potential of the investments for the city is evident.
    Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • His transformational role in her life is evident throughout her new book, as well.
    Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Moore’s journey reveals how Black Nationalism emerged not simply as a rejection of American ideals, but as a demand for their true fulfillment.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • One post on the platform included a screenshot of a season 4 scene where Will uses a conversation about Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to reveal his true feelings for Mike.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Again, George Strait embodies unity, tradition, and the timeless American music that truly deserves the 2026 Super Bowl spotlight.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Somehow, his soul embodies the whole club.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Dallas Federal Reserve’s September Energy Survey noted that the energy business activity index, the broadest measure of energy firm conditions, remained clearly in negative territory.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Coughlin hopes the index serves not only as a research paper but also as a movement and a call to action.
    Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In its second week, Tortured Poets moved roughly 100,000 more units that Showgirl has here, which may have more to do with Swift front-loading the number of album variants on offer for this LP’s rollout than anything else.
    Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Before its departure, the ship conducted dummy Tomahawk missile-loading training at Yokosuka Naval Base, just south of Tokyo at the mouth of Tokyo Bay.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Hurricanes’ only public question mark among key contributors entering the week was edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, who sustained an apparent foot injury in the fourth quarter against Louisville.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The Silver Hugo for Best Sound goes to SOUND OF FALLING for its ability to echo, in both its silences and thunders, the constant hum of secrets passed from one generation to the next in the apparent domestic quiet that both conceals and reveals.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Island of the Dolls Truly the stuff of Chucky nightmares, Mexico’s Island of the Dolls—La Isla de las Muñecas—amid the Xochimilco canals south of Mexico City is known for hundreds of dolls displayed throughout the island.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The best protection displayed during the Seattle Seahawks' win over the Houston Texans on Monday night wasn’t by anyone suited up on either sideline.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The tourism minister also expressed confidence that the sector could contribute 10% of GDP by 2030, aiming to raise it to 20% eventually.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
  • In the comment section, many people expressed different opinions regarding the seating plan.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manifest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manifest. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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