1
as in men
a member of the human race
he's a particularly handsome specimen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of specimens
For the new study, Zietlow and her coauthors examined and reclassified fossils housed in more than a dozen institutions — specimens that had been misidentified as the species Tylosaurus proriger.
—
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
One source with deep roots in the paleontology market, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, told me that many fossils now appearing in smaller galleries and auction houses are specimens that struggled to find buyers through traditional natural history channels.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 May 2026
Purchase established specimens at a native plant nursery or find a division from a fellow gardener in late winter or early spring.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 22 May 2026
The breakthrough came after spider specimens from remote elevations were sent to Priyadarshini for identification and analysis.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026
The other 13 specimens are from just five white sand scrub habitats scattered across peninsular Florida.
—Ryan St Laurent, The Conversation, 18 May 2026
Confirmation required shipping samples more than 600 miles to the national reference laboratory in Kinshasa, where 8 of 13 specimens came back positive for Bundibugyo on May 15.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 17 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
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
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
One source with deep roots in the paleontology market, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, told me that many fossils now appearing in smaller galleries and auction houses are specimens that struggled to find buyers through traditional natural history channels.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 May 2026
Purchase established specimens at a native plant nursery or find a division from a fellow gardener in late winter or early spring.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 22 May 2026
The breakthrough came after spider specimens from remote elevations were sent to Priyadarshini for identification and analysis.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026
The other 13 specimens are from just five white sand scrub habitats scattered across peninsular Florida.
—Ryan St Laurent, The Conversation, 18 May 2026
Confirmation required shipping samples more than 600 miles to the national reference laboratory in Kinshasa, where 8 of 13 specimens came back positive for Bundibugyo on May 15.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 17 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimens
Noun
-
On May 18, two armed teenagers entered the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing an armed security guard in a gun battle, then fatally shooting two men cornered in the parking lot, police said.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Authorities in Hawaii on Thursday arrested a suspect in connection with the killings of three men on the Big Island this week.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
There were other examples of Frank striking the wrong chord with his messaging and his replacement Tudor committed similar mistakes.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
The school official shared examples of other concerning behavior, according to the declaration.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Would any of those guys be the Celtics’ dream center?—
Jay King,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Those guys already have good habits built in.—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
In response to these allegations, Gran Tierra told The Athletic that the company has 600 monitoring wells across their Colombian operations, analysing over 1,300 samples in 2024.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Bone samples were evaluated for DNA analysis, leading to a victim profile that was uploaded to an ancestry database.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Hummingbirds are hungry little creatures.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
-
Friends, family, Make-A-Wish and school staff partied with Rylan in celebration of his love for furry creatures.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The backstory This historic, neo-Gothic style building has held many lives, first as the national savings bank and later as a music conservatory.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Although Nilsson would likely disagree, her work affirms that all of us are drifting toward oblivion, with the best days of our lives like so much confetti in the wind.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
As chair of the Assembly’s Communications and Conveyance Committee, Boerner said the caseload the CPUC’s five commissioners have to handle is too burdensome and expanding the roster to nine will improve things.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
-
As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Previously, companies tracked vehicles and cargo but lacked technical assurance about the individuals actually handling the freight.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
-
The department is scheduling massive master calendar sessions that include 100 or more individuals at a time.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specimens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimens. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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