as in particular
tending to select carefully
we were highly selective about the music we listened to while trying out loudspeakers
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Recent Examples of selective
Orange County officials and frontline workers are responding with a mix of concern and selective support to President Donald Trump‘s new executive order targeting homelessness, a sweeping directive that leans heavily on law enforcement, civil commitments and mandatory treatment.
—
Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 24 July 2025
His team keeps it selective, working with just three sponsors max at any time.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 22 July 2025
Yet these selective crackdowns have done little to disrupt the increasing scale and scope of scam centers in the region.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The distillery’s production philosophy focuses on small-batch craftsmanship and selective maturation.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 24 July 2025
His team keeps it selective, working with just three sponsors max at any time.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 22 July 2025
Yet these selective crackdowns have done little to disrupt the increasing scale and scope of scam centers in the region.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The distillery’s production philosophy focuses on small-batch craftsmanship and selective maturation.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selective
Adjective
-
The best Japanese sunscreen, in particular, shines, with many travelers stocking up on their trips to the island—or going as far as asking friends to bring these coveted cosmetic staples back to the States for them.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
14 July 2025
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The composers also had to navigate the IP’s legacy, in particular, that of John Williams’ original heroic themes – the very DNA of Superman.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
While tariffs may lead to consumers being more choosy, Link said the overall macroeconomic picture still looks positive, bolstered by lower interest rates, a steady job market and strong consumer savings.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2025
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And by that time in her career, Salonga could be choosy.—
Robert Ito,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Justin’s Almond Butter My youngest niece, a picky eater, has found her match with these nut butter pouches.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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On the first day, my picky and very spoiled cats played with it for three hours straight.—
WIRED,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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And, the embroidery on the pillowcases adds a nice touch.—
Shalwah Evans,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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The units also vary in shape: the cube is nice for nightstands, while the wider grand size works well on large dressers.—
Jamie Fischer,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selective. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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