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model

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adjective

model

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun model differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of model are example, exemplar, ideal, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When could example be used to replace model?

The meanings of example and model largely overlap; however, example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning.

children tend to follow the example of their parents

Where would exemplar be a reasonable alternative to model?

The synonyms exemplar and model are sometimes interchangeable, but exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

When might ideal be a better fit than model?

The words ideal and model are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

In what contexts can pattern take the place of model?

Although the words pattern and model have much in common, pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

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 model
Noun
The golf company’s Odyssey brand recently created a new putter modeled after the one used by Happy Gilmore in the Adam Sandler movies. Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 31 July 2025 In Brady’s eyes, bedtime stories and homework help are meaningful, but so is modeling commitment, resilience, and work ethic. Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2025
Adjective
And the Generic model has 320 square feet of space that’s ready to be put to great use. Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2025 The model number is on a sticker on the back of the product, according to the recall notice. Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
In October, Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor said the brothers had been model prisoners and recommended that they be resentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024 According to online reports, the buyers are model Olivia Culpo and her San Francisco 49ers husband Christian McCaffrey, who picked up the nearly 3.2-acre spread for $14.5 million. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for model
Recent Examples of Synonyms for model
Noun
  • An unconventional approach to reproduction is reportedly reducing the risk of metabolic disease.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025
  • Faced with the choice between reproduction and self-preservation… the females appear to be choosing the latter.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • The goal of the show was to blow up 500 pounds of ammonium nitrate to knock the socks off a mannequin positioned near the explosion.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2025
  • Even the mannequins showing off clothes to buy were absent.
    Norma Galeana, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Wood fostered a creative and fun-loving environment at WEBN, encouraging innovative ideas and pranks.
    Gillian Stawiszynski, The Enquirer, 3 Aug. 2025
  • That’s both a smart idea and a potentially troubling idea.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The West Hollywood 24/7 drive-in has 80 Tesla charging stations and serves classic American diner food — biscuits and gravy, burgers, fries, tuna melts and milkshakes, to name a few of its menu items.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 26 July 2025
  • Both ice creams start with the same classic technique: gently heating milk and cream, tempering in the egg yolks, and cooking until the custard thickens.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • The crafts market launched Aug. 3 and will continue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays at the Ramona Grange 632 building at 215 Seventh St. Getting Crafty is patterned after the Ramona Grange Growers Exchange and Certified Farmers Market.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • On the cover, the star wore patterned alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet trousers, her own hat, a cuff by Alexis Bittar and feathers from Mordecai, a designer Thorpe regularly worked with at the time.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Just look at the vast collection of 2,500 watches, enamel miniatures, and musical automatons on display at the city’s Patek Philippe Museum.
    Anna Haines, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025
  • In it, the trio appear in miniature at the center of a giant circular stage rig, a huge digital full moon rising on the LED wall behind them and a sprawling audience ahead.
    Katie Bain, Billboard, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • New media figures are learning different lessons from a younger audience.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Though his name is all but erased in the U.S., Nkrumah remains an iconic and revered figure across much of Africa.
    Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Her last qualms were with schools that get grants to buy supplies, including computers, for example.
    Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 6 Aug. 2025
  • For example, some foundations have not been regularly reconciling their accounts and have made some expenditures without proper prior approval or supporting documentation, such as receipts or invoices, according to the audit.
    Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/model. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

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