as in choice
the act or process of selecting
the selecting of the party's nominee took three days and half a dozen votes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in choosing
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
selected only two people out of 300 applicants for the summer internship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 selecting
ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
The Chiefs should be open to moving out of the pick, particularly because the luxury of selecting in the top 10 is teams often overpay to move up.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
At the heart of algorithmic diplomacy lies dataset curation – the seemingly technical process of selecting, filtering, and structuring training data.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
The options include changing the backup device name and selecting which hard drives to back up.
—Justin Pot, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
So the audience is pretty self selecting.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
The TikTok tradeoff is dynamic scanning, selecting, and constructing in return for patience, credulity, and willingness to follow direction.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Critics say the city’s methodology for selecting projects resulted from years of poor urban planning.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Theatrical itself is already self-selecting.
—Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
The Sox filled the spot by selecting Jarred Kelenic’s contract from Triple-A Charlotte.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Less than three weeks after selecting Tyrone Brookins as its next superintendent, the Inver Grove Heights school board on Wednesday night rescinded its contract offer, citing board division in its original selection of Brookins as the lone finalist.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
Doctors in Abu Dhabi would compose an individualized concoction of enhancement drugs for him and many of his fellow athletes, selecting from testosterone, anabolic steroids, growth factors like HGH and EPO, hormone and metabolic modulators, and stimulants like Adderall.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026
Among the 50 states, California has a unique system for selecting Superior Court (or equivalent) judges.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
After selecting Cooper and Ponds, the Jets became the fourth team in the modern era to select multiple Indiana players in the same draft [49ers, Giants, and Bears].
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
With tight end believed to be the next biggest need on their roster, selecting Raridon in the third round makes sense for the Patriots after the rest of the league went on a run at the position in the second and third rounds.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
When Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Georgia’s Christen Miller went early in the second round, that all but eliminated the option of the Ravens selecting an interior defensive lineman.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Engineering or selecting for climate resilient traits in one species does not guarantee the survival of the many others that depend on it.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
The Chiefs should be open to moving out of the pick, particularly because the luxury of selecting in the top 10 is teams often overpay to move up.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
At the heart of algorithmic diplomacy lies dataset curation – the seemingly technical process of selecting, filtering, and structuring training data.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
The options include changing the backup device name and selecting which hard drives to back up.
—Justin Pot, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
So the audience is pretty self selecting.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
The TikTok tradeoff is dynamic scanning, selecting, and constructing in return for patience, credulity, and willingness to follow direction.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Critics say the city’s methodology for selecting projects resulted from years of poor urban planning.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Theatrical itself is already self-selecting.
—Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
Containers dry out much quicker, so keep that in mind when selecting plants and opt for water-wise and drought-resistant varieties, Vater suggests.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
The Sox filled the spot by selecting Jarred Kelenic’s contract from Triple-A Charlotte.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Less than three weeks after selecting Tyrone Brookins as its next superintendent, the Inver Grove Heights school board on Wednesday night rescinded its contract offer, citing board division in its original selection of Brookins as the lone finalist.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
Doctors in Abu Dhabi would compose an individualized concoction of enhancement drugs for him and many of his fellow athletes, selecting from testosterone, anabolic steroids, growth factors like HGH and EPO, hormone and metabolic modulators, and stimulants like Adderall.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026
Among the 50 states, California has a unique system for selecting Superior Court (or equivalent) judges.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
After selecting Cooper and Ponds, the Jets became the fourth team in the modern era to select multiple Indiana players in the same draft [49ers, Giants, and Bears].
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
With tight end believed to be the next biggest need on their roster, selecting Raridon in the third round makes sense for the Patriots after the rest of the league went on a run at the position in the second and third rounds.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
When Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Georgia’s Christen Miller went early in the second round, that all but eliminated the option of the Ravens selecting an interior defensive lineman.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selecting
Noun
-
Her activities of choice are perusing Pinterest and surfing YouTube Shorts—essentially a high-latency TikTok.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Escobarete is glad Campbell made the choice to become a Crusader.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
For Suggs, choosing basketball over football was an excruciating decision.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
By choosing sustainable options and participating in recycling programs, pilgrims can ensure that their journey of faith also respects the sanctity of the natural world.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The president pardoned Giuliani for the attempt to overturn the 2020 election in November.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
Once fierce rivals, the two men were responsible for the country’s first peaceful transfer of power between parties, after Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican Party defeated Adams and the Federalists in the election of 1800.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Either apply the product to the back of your hand before picking it up with a brush, or simply swipe it directly onto your cheeks, tapping it in with your fingertips.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
-
Beers was also aggressive defensively, picking Stewart’s pocket for a steal in the second quarter.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Annual With succulent foliage and large, brightly colored blooms, portulaca or moss rose makes a fabulous selection for containers in hot, dry sites.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
-
Don't Crowd Determinate Tomatoes Most paste varieties, patio, and compact selections, and some slicing tomatoes are determinate.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Selecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selecting. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
