1
as in to describe
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to distinguish
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterize
The Padres scored in the seventh because of another thing that characterizes the young Nationals, who are 28-28.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
He was launched into the air, and the impact on his arm became all the more extreme due to compartment syndrome, a condition that is characterized by too much pressure around the muscles, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
League sources have characterized Nelson as someone the Sixers value significantly.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The American strikes were the second set this week of what Washington has characterized as defensive actions, with the most recent ones hitting Iranian drones and a launch site.
—semafor.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
He was launched into the air, and the impact on his arm became all the more extreme due to compartment syndrome, a condition that is characterized by too much pressure around the muscles, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
League sources have characterized Nelson as someone the Sixers value significantly.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The American strikes were the second set this week of what Washington has characterized as defensive actions, with the most recent ones hitting Iranian drones and a launch site.
—semafor.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterize
Verb
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The shooter is described as a man in his 30s.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Sergei Shoigu, Russia's former defense minister and now secretary of its Security Council, also rejected Zelenskyy’s claim, describing it as a scare tactic to attract more Western aid for Kyiv.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Implicit in Schulze’s remark is what distinguished the Hairy Who from their Pop counterparts on the East Coast.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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The results highlight an important boundary in early social cognition and offer insight into how infants distinguish between human and artificial agents.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Braun said Panish had sought to portray his client as hiding in the bushes near the crash site, but in reality, those bushes were vines and the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Erickson was easily seen.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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Yet cultural stereotypes continue to portray White athletes as less athletic, less gifted and less deserving of elite status.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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But Kyiv’s early embrace of drones, and the mass-industrialization of their accuracy and power, has begun to exact a defining toll on Moscow.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Taken together, those cultural threads help explain why food – and especially meat – carries an outsized symbolic role in Texas politics, where the official state dish, adopted in 1977, is chili, defined by its significant meat base.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterize. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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