as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a novice birder still learning the distinguishing features of various finches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiating
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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2
as in characterizing
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
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3
as in identifying
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in noticing
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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5
as in classifying
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguishing
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Presidents learn quickly the wisdom of distinguishing between an authoritarian regime and the people who suffer under its rule.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2026
Dual-wave technology reduces false alarms by distinguishing non-fire smoke, while dual sensors provide combined smoke and carbon monoxide detection with an audible 85 dB alert.
—New Atlas, 25 Dec. 2025
This week, the President and his Administration managed to perform a dizzying array of their most distinguishing qualities.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
One distinguishing feature of the Lifevibe® VAT chairs is the use of the SonicWave™ mechanism, which integrates mechanical massage with acoustic vibrations designed to interact with deeper muscle layers and support relaxation.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Economists call these your idiosyncratic preferences, distinguishing them from general preferences that are more commonly held.
—Judd B. Kessler, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
The terrorist organization is known for not distinguishing between civilian and militant casualties.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Dec. 2025
Throughout my childhood, there was no distinguishing Dick Van Dyke from Rob Petrie.
—John Glynn, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
To that point, Lee stressed the importance of city names preceding a team name as a distinguishing factor.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguishing
Adjective
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While achieving a rugged look, the fiber retains the signature softness and high moisture-regulating properties characteristic of TENCEL™ Lyocell, enhancing wearer comfort.—
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And a floral, almost roselike aroma, considered characteristic of wines from cooler regions, was recently discovered to be caused by the inclusion of dead leaves in the ferment.—
Verb
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Lilium Jet Lilium focuses on regional air mobility rather than short-hop urban routes, differentiating itself from most air taxi competitors.—
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Either way, each realizes the route to victory means differentiating herself from the other.—
Verb
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In a statement posted to Instagram, SAG-AFTRA, one of the largest entertainment unions, blasted its creation, characterizing it as an affront to the work of human performers.—
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People are characterizing them and not listening to them.—
Verb
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Officers were reportedly reviewing security camera footage in the area in hopes of identifying a suspect.—
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Last April, the Wyn Beauty founder shared a sweet video on her Instagram with her daughter Adira, as the little one practiced identifying colors.—
Verb
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Or noticing that your hands feel inexplicably stiff and swollen, making simple tasks like opening a jar or even typing feel unusually difficult.—
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The second witness went inside for safety, then re-emerged, noticing the brothers were fighting, court records state.—
Verb
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Unlike an image-classifying neural network, a PINN doesn’t learn by studying external data.—
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Similarly, ride-share services like Uber and Lyft have faced multiple lawsuits for classifying drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, allowing the companies to avoid providing minimum wage, overtime pay and other benefits.—
Adjective
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But none of these enticements can conceal the absence of scripts and direction that set a distinctive mood, then deftly navigate every deliberate shift.—
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Faithfull’s signature, distinctive, melodic, high-register vocals had defined her career, but her voice was permanently altered by severe laryngitis and her persistent drug abuse.—
Verb
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Having designed dozens of homes and studied many more, interior designers become accustomed to spotting some of the same home accessories over and over again.—
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There’s great wildlife spotting.—
Cite this Entry
“Distinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguishing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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