1
as in defining
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the document specifies precisely how you may use the information it contains
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in mentioning
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically
police reports didn't specify the model of car the robbers were driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of specifying
An Amazon Web Services (AWS) spokesperson said the disruption was ongoing, without specifying the exact location affected or any potential damage done.
—
CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Access and collaborative agreements — and sometimes even land return agreements — come with requirements specifying what tribes can and cannot do with the land.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
What Sheridan isn’t shy about specifying is what’s wrong with the present.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2026
The bill also removes language specifying that an officer is not justified in using force during an arrest if the arrest is unlawful.
—Marta Zherukha, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Apple isn't specifying what changes were made—likely a combination of a wider-bandwidth controller, faster NAND flash for lower latency, and platform-level improvements introduced with the M5-series chips—but the company does claim up to two-times-faster SSD performance.
—Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
Sri Lanka is not allowing the ship to dock but is providing some humanitarian assistance, Cabinet spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said Wednesday, without specifying if the ship was a commercial or naval vessel.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
The festival said the Official Selection of the 79th edition will be unveiled mid-April without specifying a date.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Apart from specifying that the number of wolves had to exceed the state’s endangerment cutoff, legislators never defined what such a sustainable level might be.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Access and collaborative agreements — and sometimes even land return agreements — come with requirements specifying what tribes can and cannot do with the land.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
What Sheridan isn’t shy about specifying is what’s wrong with the present.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2026
The bill also removes language specifying that an officer is not justified in using force during an arrest if the arrest is unlawful.
—Marta Zherukha, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Apple isn't specifying what changes were made—likely a combination of a wider-bandwidth controller, faster NAND flash for lower latency, and platform-level improvements introduced with the M5-series chips—but the company does claim up to two-times-faster SSD performance.
—Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
Sri Lanka is not allowing the ship to dock but is providing some humanitarian assistance, Cabinet spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said Wednesday, without specifying if the ship was a commercial or naval vessel.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
The festival said the Official Selection of the 79th edition will be unveiled mid-April without specifying a date.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Apart from specifying that the number of wolves had to exceed the state’s endangerment cutoff, legislators never defined what such a sustainable level might be.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specifying
Verb
-
Cost anxiety has become the defining concern of the application process.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
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The moment captures the strange overlap now defining the entertainment industry.—
Grant Rindner,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There was no march or car show, and it was billed instead as the Comunidad y Labor Unity Fair to focus more broadly on labor rights without mentioning Chavez.—
Tran Nguyen,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Just mentioning Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson generates a range of opinions.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The number of providers increased steadily from 88 in fiscal year 2017 to 373 in fiscal year 2024, and pushing providers to stop prescribing more hours than necessary will free up sessions for additional children, Bimestefer said.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
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Another concern raised by experts is the unintended consequences of prescribing the medication, which is commonly used during cancer treatment.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jordan said the surveillance program has changed significantly in recent years to add more guardrails for Fourth Amendment protections, citing dozens of reforms enacted by Congress.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
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Those comments were followed by a report from The New York Times, citing two unnamed officials, suggesting that Washington had sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Writers Raoul Groothuizen and Christina Poppe came up with the idea back in 2018, after noticing a sharp rise in racist rhetoric among the Flemish far-right.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Scientists had long assumed most of the moon lay beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, but in 2019 scientists began noticing something odd about the experiment’s data that suggested the moon was somewhat protected from galactic cosmic rays.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With another piece of paper indicating her pregnancy was not ectopic, though, Hall had left the clinic thinking that concern didn’t apply to her.—
Emily Brindley
Health Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Israel has yet to publicly comment on the peace terms during the latest war of words, with reports indicating Israeli government had been blindsided with Washington's proposal.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Stahla encouraged those with lawns to hold off on watering their grass, noting that is will survive the dry conditions for a few more weeks.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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In a TikTok post, Lenae addressed the comments, noting that her creative aesthetic is directly inspired by the likes of Chaka Khan, Minnie Riperton, and Diana Ross.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That followed a report from Iranian state TV's English-language broadcaster quoting an anonymous official as saying Iran rejected America's ceasefire proposal and has its own demands for an end to the fighting.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That followed a report from Iranian state TV’s English-language broadcaster quoting an anonymous official as saying Iran rejected America’s ceasefire proposal and has its own demands to end the fighting.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specifying. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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