1
as in men
a member of the human race
he's a particularly handsome specimen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like
chose one frog as a good specimen of the breed
Synonyms & Similar 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 specimens
The researchers found that the specimens from the three sites in China shared two amino acid variants, one of which was previously unknown.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Create a Hummingbird Buffet Rather than dotting single specimens around your garden, plant a hummingbird highway.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
On Schiaparelli’s garden dress the flowers are too large, specimens are pinned, insects crawl.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Sedums come in a dizzying array of textures and colors, as well as shapes and sizes, from flowering carpets to tall, standout specimens like familiar favorite ‘Autumn Joy’.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Midwest Living, 11 May 2026
His journal entries are peppered with geological insights related to these specimens.
—Robert M. Thorson, The Conversation, 8 May 2026
That story was told in the studio by Professor Julian Huxley, an evolutionary biologist, who used pickled wildlife specimens and a photograph of a coelacanth to explain the fish’s significance.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Despite their aging heart, the sharks seemed quite able to get around—some of the specimens in the study were collected by longline fishing in Greenland waters, suggesting the sharks could find bait and successfully capture it.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
As a result, lawmakers charged the commission with crafting new rules for private companies that transport anatomical specimens and university researchers.
—Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Create a Hummingbird Buffet Rather than dotting single specimens around your garden, plant a hummingbird highway.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
On Schiaparelli’s garden dress the flowers are too large, specimens are pinned, insects crawl.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Sedums come in a dizzying array of textures and colors, as well as shapes and sizes, from flowering carpets to tall, standout specimens like familiar favorite ‘Autumn Joy’.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Midwest Living, 11 May 2026
His journal entries are peppered with geological insights related to these specimens.
—Robert M. Thorson, The Conversation, 8 May 2026
That story was told in the studio by Professor Julian Huxley, an evolutionary biologist, who used pickled wildlife specimens and a photograph of a coelacanth to explain the fish’s significance.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Despite their aging heart, the sharks seemed quite able to get around—some of the specimens in the study were collected by longline fishing in Greenland waters, suggesting the sharks could find bait and successfully capture it.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
As a result, lawmakers charged the commission with crafting new rules for private companies that transport anatomical specimens and university researchers.
—Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimens
Noun
-
Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
In August 2025, Broward County Circuit Court Judge Marlon Weiss ruled on a case of two men living in France who petitioned for early parental rights while their gestational carrier was pregnant.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
His furniture regularly commands staggering prices at auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s, while his architectural works are increasingly gaining recognition as some of the most important examples of postwar Italian modernism.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
-
Well, there's a couple examples.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
This is how you guys break it to me.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
You guys went to see him and also gave his son a scholarship.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
One system, known as the variable gap system, measures thermal conductivity by tracking how heat moves through molten salt samples.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
-
How microplastics ended up in Amazonian tadpoles A team led by ecologist Fabrielle Barbosa de Araújo of the Federal University of Pará collected 20 water samples and 100 tadpoles from each of five temporary rainwater ponds at Gunma Ecological Park in Pará state, Brazil, in April 2025.—
Ryan Brennan
May 12,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
For all of these creatures, the coast’s patchwork of barrier islands, beaches, sandbars, salt marshes, tidal creeks and estuaries are vitally important for survival.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
-
The slick creatures, with their blunt heads and whiskers, are sometimes easy to spot in the water, but the restaurants that have perfected eating them are a bit harder to find.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The volunteer team was a diverse group of people, at different stages in their lives, and from various social and cultural backgrounds.—
Via Riverhead,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Authorities are trying to unravel what led two teenagers to open fire at the San Diego Islamic Center, killing three people before taking their own lives.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Rival ranch owner Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) and her family won’t make things easy, but Rip and Beth remain one of the toughest couples on television.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
The Frost pressed hard in the final frame to tie things up, but the goal would ultimately be Poulin’s second game-winner of the best-of-five series.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Ten individuals were transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center, while one additional person was transferred to Orlando Health Melbourne, the department told PEOPLE.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
For example, some of the individuals who were involved in political attacks in recent years were not registered to vote and gave scant reasoning for their behavior, Westwood says.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specimens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimens. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
