1
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
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3
as in to identify
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
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4
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguish
Scott has distinguished herself among the biggest individual donors by giving large, unrestricted gifts to nonprofits, often with a focus on equity or social justice.
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Thalia Beaty, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2026
Swart said mixing peaceful protesters with individuals engaging in obstruction creates serious safety risks, as officers cannot easily distinguish between lawful demonstrators and agitators.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Reset offers three tiers of rooms, distinguished by their outdoor layouts (all patios feature a firepit, but only some have the outdoor tub), bed size (queen or king), and view (mountain view versus interior-facing).
—Kristine Thomason, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
But distinguishing fact from fiction takes work — and requires a level of reading comprehension that Americans are losing.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguish
Verb
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But Pliyt's prototype, revealed at CES just days ago, aims to differentiate itself by turning introverts' dreams into reality.—
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Neither film nor actor seems concerned with differentiating between reality and fiction.—
Verb
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To him, 1000 Corporate Drive was no call center; that term would better characterize his previous dump in Hollywood, Florida.—
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The move was characterized as a typical political conflict; however, the revelations from these whistleblowers raise questions about whether there could have also been a motive to keep wrongdoing concealed.—
Verb
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The trooper initiated a traffic stop to investigate, and the driver, identified as Ezeiruaku, was arrested.—
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An investigation identified the suspect as 23-year-old Sidney Dillon Pittman, who lives at the home the delivery driver visited by accident, court records show.—
Verb
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The theft wasn't noticed until a store employee saw that the entire caviar section was empty, which led management to check their security cameras.—
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One game, Jordan Ross, his roommate, noticed that Jake was too late to rotate over on a double-team from the baseline side on a drive.—
Verb
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The department classifies Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger under its highest Level 4 advisory, warning Americans about issues of terrorism, crime, kidnapping, and more.—
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Those only include what the police classify as murders or non-negligent manslaughter.—
Verb
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How many American adults understand the value of discerning the reliability of a post that’s gone viral?—
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After contemplating very deeply and carefully for many long hours attempting to discern a plausible alternative explanation for the rhetoric and the policies, what is the only thing that a reasonable person can conclude?—
Verb
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Investigators also found eight 9 mm casings fired from a Glock pistol at the scene where Holmes was killed, according to the affidavit.—
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In doing so, the judge found he could not be involved in the handling of the separate probes related to the civil fraud investigation and the NRA.—
Verb
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But, the aide said, the President would see me first.—
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In live video, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov can be seen in their suits woring on tasks, but not yet in their seats.—
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguish. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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