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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. disinformation disruption efforts, declined to single out Musk for criticism or to say if the federal government had appealed personally to him to take them down. —

Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 Hinchcliffe singled out a Black supporter in the crowd, trying to make a joke about carving watermelons for Halloween. —

Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2024 Reviewing for the paper, Glenn Whipp singles out actor Mikey Madison and her complex portrayal of the title character. —

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024 Suburban officials didn’t believe these reports, by Chicago police still took them seriously — though no one was ever singled out as a suspect or arrested. —

Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for single out