prioritize

verb

Definition of prioritizenext
as in to categorize
to put in order based on importance We prioritized the hardest parts of the project before the easier ones.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 prioritize Stay informed, stay vigilant, and prioritize your well-being. — Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026 Mayor Mamdani tapped into something special by prioritizing fast buses for New Yorkers. — Mike Flynn, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 The other is a structural project my administration would prioritize and properly fund. — Joe Holberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 Patients may want to prioritize clinics that clearly provide the full cost up front. — Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for prioritize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prioritize
  1. categorize
  2. organize
  3. sort
  4. classify
  5. sequence
  6. file
Verb
  • Countrywide, wine, beer, spirits and other newer forms of alcohol are categorized according to beverage type and are taxed often regardless of actual alcohol content or other states’ policies.
    — Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • The study also categorized unemployment claims by age and found that a significant portion of claims were from those aged 36 to 65, signaling that AI’s effect doesn’t only affect early-career jobs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of categorize
Verb
  • Weave in open storage elements like cubbies—essential for keeping shoes and boots accessible and organized.
    — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 4 July 2026
  • The flight follows additional aid deliveries from Ecuador and continuing relief efforts organized in Spain, where public institutions, businesses and charitable organizations have raised more than $11 million for earthquake victims.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
Definition of organize
Verb
  • The Cat Fanciers' Association sorts cat coats into both color and pattern.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • These include a mail sorting station, built-in charging areas on the shelves for phones, and bulletin boards or pin-up spaces for notes and calendars.
    — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 4 July 2026
Definition of sort
Verb
  • The Education Department initially classified only 11 fields as professional, leaving out areas including nursing, physical therapy and education.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Devine told me that e-bike and moped marketing is confusing and regulations keeping e-bikes safely classified are cloudy.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of classify
Verb
  • Until recently, researchers typically used an approach called metabarcoding to sequence eDNA.
    — Jenny Whilde, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
  • University of Copenhagen paleoproteomics researcher Enrico Cappellini, also a co-author of the study, hopes the team will sequence proteins from other South African hominins, as well as species from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia in east Africa.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 June 2026
Definition of sequence
Verb
  • Prosecutors also filed two additional misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and operating a motorcycle without a valid license, along with four infractions that include driving the wrong way on a divided roadway.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The town of Foxboro responded to the Kraft Group’s lawsuit filed in June on Tuesday, stating the nearly $1 million entertainment license fee at issue was a legitimate billing for safety expenses and filing a counterclaim against the group.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026
Definition of file

Browse Nearby Words

priorities
prioritize
prioritized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prioritize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prioritize. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All