single out

phrasal verb

singled out; singling out; singles out

: to treat or to speak about (someone or something in a group) in a way that is different from the way one treats or speaks about others

The coach singled out the players who played poorly.

The reviewer singled her performance out for praise/criticism.

—often used as (be) singled out

She was singled out for special treatment.

Examples of single out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Mitchell speculated that his class was singled out because his syllabus includes works by August Wilson, the famed African-American playwright, and Nilo Cruz, the Cuban-American playwright who is openly gay. —

Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025 In his executive order Monday night, Trump didn’t single out any particular cartel, crime group or drug trafficker. —

Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025 Trump singled out plans to issue tariffs of an undisclosed rate on imports from Russia, repeating one of his favorite negotiation tactics. —

William Gavin, Quartz, 22 Jan. 2025 Forget singling out one man—enter Brooklyn’s Black Heartthrob Look-Alike Competition. —

Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for single out